One thing we have learned when talking to people whose first language is not English is that sarcasm is not understood well. We have to be careful when using sarcasm with our daughter-in-law in Japan. We might respond with a sarcastic statement that is funny to us but not understood by her. Sarcasm is not easily transferable from one language to another. People can take sarcasm in a wrong way and easily become confused, even offended as they try to figure out what you are saying.
Sarcasm is a sharp and often humourous or mocking statement. Sarcasm can be used to cut or give discomfort. Sarcasm is a mode of satirical wit that depends on caustic and often ironic language for its effect. Sarcasm is usually directed against an individual.
Sarcasm comes from the Latin word sarcasmos, meaning mockery. It was borrowed from the Greek sarkasmos, stemmed from the Greek verb sarkazein, often meaning to jeer at while biting the lips. This was a derivative of the Greek word for flesh, sarx.
The noun form of sarcasm is what we refer to as a noncount noun. That is, a noun that denotes a homogeneous concept without subdivisions. A noncount noun has no plural form.
Sarcasm refers to the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say, in order to be funny, show irritation, or to the extreme, to insult someone. Saying "they're really on top of things" to describe a group of people who are very disorganized is using sarcasm. Most often, sarcasm is biting, and intended to make a point or cause hurt.
The word ‘irony’ can also refer to the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say. The "they're really on top of things" statement about the very disorganized group of people can also be described as an ironic statement. But irony usually refers to a situation that is strange or funny because things happen in a way that seems to be the opposite of what you expected. For example, it is ironic if someone who was raised by professional musicians but who wanted a very different kind of life then fell in love with and married a professional musician.
Sarcasm shares some semantic meanings with wit, repartee, satire, and humour. While these are in some way concerned with inducing laughter, sarcasm stands alone in frequently denoting caustic language that is probably designed to wound.
Wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal ingenuity and swift perception, especially of the incongruous. A quick wit is someone who is able to humorously answer serious questions on the spur of the moment.
Repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or amusingly. People always like to invite Jim to dinner parties because he is known for his repartee in most conversations covering a multitude of topics.
Satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions through parody or caricature. Students will be able to define satire by recognizing it in Mark Twain’s writings.
Humour means an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these without bitterness. Mary has such a great sense of humour.
Sarcasm is the opposite of sincerity, and you can use it to signal that you’re not naive. A sarcastic comment can put someone rude in their place or help you make a self-deprecating joke. Sarcasm can be a more mature way of expressing feelings like anger or disappointment.
The following are sarcastic statements made by some famous people.
“If you find it hard to laugh at yourself, I would be happy to do it for you.” —Groucho Marx
“Sometimes I feel so sick at the state of the world I can’t even finish my second apple pie.” —Banksy, Wall and Peace
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” —Thomas Edison
“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” —Mark Twain
Have some caution when using sarcasm, especially in cross cultural situations. No point in needlessly offending someone when that is not your intention.
Columnist John Kreutzwieser loves to research words and writes this weekly Word Wisdom column for Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com. He has an interest in the usage, origin, and relevance of words for society today. Greek and Latin form the basis of many words, with ancient Hebrew shedding light on word usage.
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to [email protected] . Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
