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I find the interest in how irony is identified and (mis)used much more interesting than the actual use or misuse itself.

I guess you could say I have a hang-up about your hang-up, or an interest in your interest. ;)




"Ironically" is a word that you see and hear frequently in everyday english. I think its interesting how varied people's concept of irony is for such a common word. From what I can tell most people's definition is something between "serendipity's evil twin" and "partially related." It seems in this case OP thinks the definition is the latter. I think that sooner or later "ironically" is going to have the same fate as "randomly," ("It is so random we ran into you, we were just talking about you.) which I think has zero meaning in conversational english.

To be honest i think most people's definition of irony is largely shaped by Alanis Morissette's terribly misinformed but catchy song and the hipster d-bag that says he has an "ironic mustache."

I think it is the evolution of language that is interesting? It seems like we have a case of the more a word is used the definition becomes less concise until it carries no meaning. There has to be some linguistic jargon for this type of situation.


Before I posted that I googled "define irony" and was surprised to see the first definition as something that sounded like sarcasm. The definition appears to already be changing, making hipsters retroactively correct, which is just another reason we can all hate them. ;)


"Serendipity's evil twin." That made my evening, for some reason. It's exactly how I'd define the term by how I find it used. Thanks!




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