Lost in Translation

In his first year of graduate school at UC Santa Cruz, Greg Bryant's advisor suggested he pursue a project exploring sarcasm. "She thought the ironic tone of voice many people believe in is an illusion," he recalls. "I thought that was wrong." Bryant, who considers himself a sarcastic person ("I probably learned it from my dad."), decided to tackle what he terms "irony in the wild." Along the way, Bryant discovered both he and his advisor were correct. He also became an expert on sarcasm. Today, this assistant professor of communication studies at UCLA willingly shares his knowledge with those of us who, when faced with sarcasm, often get "lost in translation."

"Nice catch."

Grasping the theory of mind is a good starting point for learning about sarcasm. "Theory of mind is the ability to attribute thoughts to others that are distinct from your own thoughts," says Bryant. According to Bryant, realizing that there are multiple layers of meaning is imperative for understanding irony. For example, the intended meaning of the phrase, "Nice catch" when directed at someone who drops a ball is different from its literal meaning. Being able to discern the difference varies for everyone from someone who is autistic and doesn't have the capability of grasping the non-literal meaning to someone who may be extremely intuitive of people's thoughts and feelings.

A Slice of Irony

To further complicate matters, it turns out sarcasm is only one of five subtypes of irony. "People often get confused between irony and sarcasm," says Bryant. Which leads us to a short primer on irony --

First, there's the rhetorical question. This applies to the question of "Are you Hungry?" when asked of someone devouring a pizza in record time. "You're pointing out that they're pigging out," says Bryant.

Then there's the understatement. An example of this when used with the above-referenced consumer would be, "John likes the food." "It's ironic, but it's not really sarcastic," says Bryant.

And those who upon seeing a pizza state, "I could eat a ton right now" are expressing — "Hyperbole," says Bryant. This form of irony is an exaggeration not meant to be taken literally.

Jocularity or ironic play would be the statement, "Don't forget to chew it."

And finally, there's sarcasm. "Gorging on pizza. How healthy for you." "It's an ironic criticism and less often ironic praise," says Bryant.

Recognizing Sarcasm When it Bites You

Sarcasm can be used to victimize, self deprecate or even woo. "People use sarcasm, and irony in general, for a wide variety of reasons," says Bryant. "They're trying to be funny, trying to soften a blow, salt a wound or help get a point across. Some people use it display how clever they are. You'll see this when men try to impress women." Sarcasm can also used as a coping mechanism. "Some people consider it offensive or taboo to use sarcasm during a tragic event," says Bryant. "People who often deal with tragedy, such as paramedics or emergency crews, will sometimes use it as a coping strategy."

Those who have trouble detecting sarcasm can look for physical cues. A few Bryant says to watch for are:

• Rolling of the eyes.
• Laughter, smiling or over-the-top expressions of happiness.
• Certain body gestures or exaggerated body movements.
• Vocal changes like slower or faster speech, lower or raised pitch or changed volume.
• Contextual cues such as the repetition or echoing of something previously said or alluding to something.

Cues can also be used in various combinations or not used at all. "Sometimes people are deadpan," explains Bryant. "They want to see if you get their sarcasm without any cues."

So Misunderstood

Get the cues down and it's still possible to be thrown a curve ball. Such is the case when traveling to a different place or experiencing a different culture. One's ability to home in on sarcasm can also determine whether they're considered part of the "in group" or "out group." "Southern California people go to England and don't get the jokes," states Bryant. "English people think they're stupid or that they're dripping in sarcasm." Not surprisingly, Americans, says Bryant, even go so far as to express sarcasm through their clothing, like making statements through intentionally ironic t-shirts.

Another place sarcasm can be misconstrued — email. "People tend to take one another literally on email. Thus the birth of...the emoticon or winky face. "In emails, communication can be easily misunderstood," says Bryant. "All you have is context without physical cues. Using sarcasm in emails is a risky strategy in communication. We can be slippery, though, and deny sarcastic interpretation if we have to."

If there's still a question as to whether someone is using sarcasm, keep one rule of thumb in mind — any utterance can be made sarcastic. Ya think?

Published Aug 28, 2007 2:57 PM