Here are 6 perfectly appropriate ways to use the term ironic -- so go forth, and no longer proclaim that a delayed flight making you miss your connection is “ironic.” It’s just bad luck. A song about irony is mocked because its lyrics contain non-ironic examples. I've probably listened to this song about 12,000 times now. Synonym Discussion of ironic. adunit_id: 100001411, Isn't it ironic when this song suppose to be ironic but it actually isn't?!?! Actually, if we look at the examples she gives, and based on this official definition; we cannot state that all the examples mentioned in the song are ironic. I love this song for its way of throwing life in our faces. It's a free ride when you've already paid. Whether she was knowingly using the word in the incorrect sense or not, let's face it - the song just would no't have the same attractive effect if it had been called "Unlucky", would it? Bradberry writes: A lot of people get this wrong. or do you think that maybe thats the meaning of the song.. that all of those things arent ironic in any way. In my opinion, this is a good song in many ways. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! English to Sinhala Dictionary: ironic. If we expect a rain-free day for our wedding, is it really ironic for the day to turn out wet and gloomy, when we had no real reason for expecting sun? I love the rare songs that provoke thought. Cosmic irony denotes the idea that the fates are against us, if not indifferent to us, and that our struggles are the result of higher forces or powers amusing themselves at our expense. I might as well give up, since the fates are clearly against me.”. English to Shona Dictionary: ironic. 6. An unfortunate event having a perverse outcome in the particular context. You're just ready to take the trip of your life and step out of your comfort zone, and your plane crashes. The Big Bang Theory Season 3, Episode 2. For years, I had no idea at all what it meant. Clearly that didn’t happen!”. Situational irony - This type of irony is perhaps the most commonly invoked. Remember when Margaret Thatcher stated in 1973 that she didn’t believe there would be a woman prime minister in her lifetime? The Big Bang Theory Season 3, Episode 2. is making an IRONIC connection The Big Bang Theory Season 5, Episode 24. is very important to define. Today is National Voter Registration Day! The irony lies in the uninformed, gullible face the speaker presents, which is juxtaposed to the actual depth of their understanding -- ironically, they were more knowledgeable than the seemingly educated target all along. Ironic definition: When you make an ironic remark , you say something that you do not mean, as a joke . Today, though, as I'm running around talking to lawyers to finish the paper work on my third divorce, it's starting to become clear to me. It's the good advice that you just didn't take. Expectations, of course, often differ from results, but to rise to the state of irony, the gulf between them should be vast and the contrast sharp. The term Ironic, mentioned five times in this song (when not implied!) Isn’t it ironic? This issue certainly makes me think and that might be the real reason I like it so much. I found the title ironic, because whether my pain was all in my head or not, it was definitely in my head.. Chocolate & Vicodin. Situational irony refers to a sharp divergence between expectations or perceptions and reality. But if you want to bemoan a series of situationally ironic catastrophes, get a little melodramatic -- bring the gods into it and blame “cosmic irony.”, Example: “The cosmic irony is killing me! The more innocently I question him about it, the more quickly his argument seems to fall apart.”. What's irony? Indeed ,I would find it difficult to believe the old man did not wish for winning the lottery, the customer did not wish for a neat chardonnay, or that any woman does not wish to meet the man of their dreams. Sure, her song “Ironic” notoriously misuses the word (around 10 times) and repeatedly insists that rain on your wedding day is ironic rather than simply a bit of bad luck. It completely misunderstands the meaning of the word. Part of HuffPost Entertainment. What if it’s only a cloudy, damp day -- is that enough of a contrast with the expected sunny skies to merit the term ironic? This sentence shows clearly that these events were totally unexpected and unpredictable. It's got a story, good feeling and great music especially with the explosion of the word "rain" in every refrain in addition to the sarcastic emotion of the line "a little too ironic.”. It forces reconsideration of the old adage 'Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.' So what does ironic really mean, and how are we allowed to use it? Actually, no, not really. According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition, irony means: “Incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs”. It is in a way a philosophical song since it deals with life and what we expect from it. There are a multitude of definitions of irony, including verbal irony (frequently referred to as sarcasm), dramatic irony (a theater audience being privy to information unknown by the characters), and cosmic irony (the horrible twists of fate that suggest the gods are working against us). Ironic, isn't it? It's calls on us to forget past misgivings and move courageously forward into a new day. Play It Safe was afraid to fly Irony is, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary: : the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning : incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result People often confuse irony with coincidence. Socratic irony, a related concept, describes a pretense of ignorance used to draw an opponent into slipping up or revealing flaws in their argument. }; Example: “We moved our wedding to an indoor venue because the forecast predicted rain, but the day turned out to be sunny. The plethora of ways ironic can be used meaningfully suggests that it’s something of a catchall for a situation that seems odd, upsetting or amusing, but in fact, each kind of irony has a specific definition that carries a precise meaning. The flexibility of the terms involved seems to allow irony to stretch to cover almost any event, but this careless usage ultimately strips the word ironic of meaning. Actually, if we look at the examples she gives, and based on this official definition; we cannot state that all the examples mentioned in the song are ironic. She's trying to tell us not be afraid, but rather, to go on and find power in knowing that life is painful, short and brutish. The one day I didn’t join in on the office lottery pool, they won 300 million dollars. But while many of us have poked fun at Morissette’s poor diction, her use of ironic to describe coincidences or annoying events is reflective of how many of us casually misuse the term. Socratic irony - Socrates’s distinctive teaching style has spawned several pedagogical concepts widely used today, mostly notably the Socratic method, which encourages critical thinking through dialogue and repeated questioning. 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