The Language of Sarcasm

English as a Second Language What do you want to talk about?
21

Thank you for the essay. I just love getting on everyone’s nerves(in a good way), these phrases will help me have more fun in the process. :slight_smile:

22

Dear all

is here some one to help me how can change my accen t speak as native speaker this way several times i am trying to that but unluckly i dont know how to do

thanks in advance

arif

23

I just replied to you with a voice message in another thread, Arif. It takes many years of constant practice for people to lose their natural accents, and there’s really no need for you to do so. Concentrate on speaking clearly with the accent you have.

24

hi
thanks allan for your essay it was very useful and i hope you will send more becouse i realy need them

25

Great job with this “Sarcasm” topic, Alan.

Really… way to go!

(hehe)

26

Hi Allan Sir,

Thank you for your Essay “Scarsam”, Once in a blue moon you are writing
this Scarsam Expressions and you want us to remember always atleast
by keeping it in my folder when I need to use the same.

I want to know the meaning for "You won’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell.

Don’t stain yourself for answering my doubts sir.

Wish you “Merry Happy Chirstmas” And HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011.

Thank You Sir

S.Shanthi

27

Hi S. Shanthi,

In literature and myth hell is depicted as a boiling hot place, full of fire and brimstone.

A snowball needs freezing cold temperatures. It would melt in such a hot place, so a snowball would become water, then vapour after more than a second or so in the temperatures of hell.

A snowball would not stand a chance in hell, so the saying means you do not stand a chance of succeeding in something.

28

Hi Beeesneees Madam

Thank you for your explanation and meaning for “The Snow ball would’nt stand a chance in hell”.

"MERRY HAPPY CHIRSTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011.

If you don’t mind could you please give voice message which I want to listen.

Thank you

S.Shanthi

29

Thanks, I did not know that You don’t say also means something you already knew.

Megan

30

Cool,
I especially liked: “the place was so clean we could almost eay off the plates”. Lol.

31

Thanks a lot dear Alan for this essay and I aggree with many of the opinions given here. According to the both talkers mood the sarcasm may be funny or may be an insult. Refering to something someone ask you to do and it´s very anoying or dificult or your talker is trying to take advantage from you, we say " Ride here (showing your shoulders)and I´ll take you to Combia". Combia is a hill about thirty minutes far from my city, so you mean no way
bye everyone.

32

Hi Allan
In your essay Nr. 42, sarcasm was tempered by humour as you said but also spiced with it - many thanks!
May I ask you two questions:

  • “Once in a blue moon”: does that mean “not in a hundred years”? I’ve heard the expression before but couldn’t find it in the CAL-Dictionary.
  • “Don’t strain yourself”: Is it meant like “Don’t overstretch your muscels by working too hard” or more like “Don’t strain (hurt) yourself by working too much.”?
    I would be glad to receive your answer.
    Cheers
    Urs
33

Hi,

‘Once in a blue moon’ suggests ‘very rarely’. ‘Don’t strain yourself’ can be used as a sarcastic remark suggesting - Don’t make too much effort for my sake!

Alan

34

Hi Allan
Your answer came back extremely quickly - like in a chat room.
By the way, that is something I allways avoided till today…
Thanks a lot!
Urs

35

That was a lovely essay Alan. Thanks!

36

Dear Alan,

It s very interisting essay, one thing have been improve my english.thank you

37

Dear Alan,

I agree with political Lurker, Bagheera and Geo 777.

I think me also the sarcasm can’t be insulting, only humorous about experience of life.

Of course there are few exception. For instance when Churchill told this saying he could offend that woman, but I think he had to retort to her.
“I may be drunk, miss, but the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly”

Shakespeare told - and this couldn’t offend anybody:
“Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish”

Camus told:
“We turned toward God only to obtain the impossible.”
There are people who think this offending but they are not right because they don’t respect other’s opinion.

Salinger-I write this one because I think he is right.
"The worst thing that being an artist could do to you would be that it could make you slightly unhappy constantly. "

Alan I liked your essay than the other ones. We learned lot what we didn’t know before.
For me was very difficult:
1.You and Whose Army? -yes, I know this is a protesting expression.The title of a song. Can be synonym: You and even who else?
2.If I stayed at a hotel and it wouldn’t be it should have been. It would bee dirty. dirty. "Oh yes, the place was so clean you could almost eat off the plates. " I couldn’t find either its synonym or its translation.

Would you please to explain these two sarcastic sentences.

Many thanks and best regards:
Kati Svaby

38

Hello Kati
I can’t answer your last two questions. But let me make some other suggestions about your post:

  • I would rather write “Personally I think” or “I think that” instead of “I think me”.
  • “Of course there are (a) few exceptions” (few means “more than one thing”, therefore the “s”).
  • “Alan, I liked your essay like the other ones” instead of “than” (the other members)".
    You could use “than” rather if you said: “Alan, I liked your essay more than the other ones (meaning: this one was especially good)”.
  • “We learned a lot what (or “that” or (nothing) we didn’t know before”, I would put it like that. As far as I know you can say: There are “lots of things” or There is “a lot of” something (for instance food or people).
  • I would rather say: “Would you please explain” instead of “Would you please to explain”. You can say “I’m pleased to meet you” of course, but this means rather that you are delighted to see someone.
    The essay was really good, I liked it very much too!
    And you seem to know a lot about famous writers and what they said, I’m impressed!
    Have a nice evening!
    Cheers
    Urs
39

Hello URS

I am very grateful for your correction.I have to say I never got so detailed correction.
Only Beeezeee corrected my wrong sentences ever and again.

I agree with:“Personally I think” or “I think that” but what I wanted to write:
I think,me also,… I forgot the commas, but I don’t know it is good or not. Write me please what do you think about it.
Few exceptions-of course plural. This was a mistake of inattention.
I like your essay than the other ones. I thought of all essays what I had read till now. But I accept not “like” but “than”
I transcribed Alan’s sentence:“I do hope you learned something you didn’t know before.”
I agree with your sentence: We learned a lot we didn’t know before.
"Lots of "is very informal. Lot of things is better.
You are right: Would you please explain.
I was very happy with your correction. I don’t say you can do any time because it is work to you. Now I won’t be at home about for a week or more and I can’t carry with me my laptop.
Many,many thanks:
Kati

40

Thanks for sending these essays for me.
Wish you the best
Georgina