In fairness to Alanis, pop singers and Canadians aren’t the only ones who struggle to understand irony. There’s an entire line of cognitive research dedicated to understanding the concept (as well as ...

Adapted from "Irony and Sarcasm" by Roger Kreuz (MIT Press, 2020). Reprinted with permission from MIT Press. In February 1996, Alanis Morissette released the fourth single from “Jagged Little Pill,” ...

While dramatic irony entails a contrast between what an audience knows and what characters know, verbal irony is a contrast between words and their meaning, and situational irony is a contrast between ...

Although verbal irony is one of the most common types used in casual conversation and storytelling, it can be easy to mix it up with other types of irony. Understanding how it differs can be helpful ...

JON WINOKUR is the author of 20 reference books and anthologies, including, most recently, "The Big Book of Irony." WHEN it was revealed in 2003 that William J. Bennett, author of “The Book of Virtues ...

On September 18, 2001, Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair, declared, “I think it’s the end of the age of irony.” He was trashed for the sentiment. Only a month after the event, Michiko Kakutani ...

Sign up for the daily CJR newsletter. A father and daughter were deep in discussion over breakfast at a diner. “That’s not irony, that’s sarcasm,” the father ...

Pundits declared irony dead after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but five years later, not only is it alive – it ruled 2006. “Given the way the world has gone, we’re in more need of irony,” says ...

The potent one-two punch of nostalgia and a strong holiday-oriented marketing campaign are driving ticket sales for the biggest film of Russia's New Year's movie season, "The Irony of Fate 2." By ...