Sarcasm is when we make statements we don’t mean, expecting the other person to infer from context that we meant the opposite. It’s a way of pointing out how unlikely it would be for you to mean what you said, by saying it.
There are two ways to evoke sarcasm; first by making your statement unlikely in context, and second by using “sarcasm voice”, i.e. picking tones and verbiage that explicitly signal sarcasm. The sarcasm that people consider grating is usually the kind that relies on the second category of signals, rather than the first. It becomes more funny when the joker is able to say something almost-but-not-quite plausible in a completely deadpan manner. Compare:
“Oh boyyyy, I bet you think you’re the SMARTEST person in the WHOLE world.” (Wild, abrupt shifts in pitch)
“You must have a really deep soul, Jeff.” (Face inexpressive)
As a corollary, sarcasm often works more smoothly when it’s between people who already know each other, not only because it’s less likely to be offensive, but also because they’re starting with a strong prior about what their counterparties are likely to say in normal conversation.
Sarcasm is when we make statements we don’t mean, expecting the other person to infer from context that we meant the opposite. It’s a way of pointing out how unlikely it would be for you to mean what you said, by saying it.
There are two ways to evoke sarcasm; first by making your statement unlikely in context, and second by using “sarcasm voice”, i.e. picking tones and verbiage that explicitly signal sarcasm. The sarcasm that people consider grating is usually the kind that relies on the second category of signals, rather than the first. It becomes more funny when the joker is able to say something almost-but-not-quite plausible in a completely deadpan manner. Compare:
“Oh boyyyy, I bet you think you’re the SMARTEST person in the WHOLE world.” (Wild, abrupt shifts in pitch)
“You must have a really deep soul, Jeff.” (Face inexpressive)
As a corollary, sarcasm often works more smoothly when it’s between people who already know each other, not only because it’s less likely to be offensive, but also because they’re starting with a strong prior about what their counterparties are likely to say in normal conversation.