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I hear the term 'irony' and 'ironic' tossed around and frequently it is used rather than a more fitting term such as "paradox" or "coincidence" or "serendipity" other such words hinting at strange, curious or mysterious events seemingly in synch with one another.
I have a sense of what irony is but can't quite get my brain around it. I've dabbled in it and seem to recognize it when it isn't. So I was trying to think of some concrete, tangible example as to what irony might truly be in daily life.
I recently purchased a t-shirt from my local Goodwill with Skippy peanut butter on it and the slogan "Spread the Fun" printed on it. Now I do not wear brand name clothing, at least not visibly. If I do the clothes come from Goodwill and they either have no labels visible or the labels come off. I refuse to pay "brand name" prices. So my choice of Skippy was intentional on many levels.
I'm not sure anyone that knows me would consider me "fun", at least not in a jubilant, boisterous or otherwise extroverted sense. Bob Newhart, even Steven Wright, would be more my idea of "fun". So it's kind of a double meaning, an inside joke, with the shirt, point of purchase, its brand name and its slogan.
So is irony the idea that this company develops this slogan, puts it on a t-shirt and someone (i.e. me) wears it for a totally different meaning?
Is it irony (or double irony) that even though I am wearing it with a different meaning in mind, the fact is that I am still wearing a brand name visibly and thus to the benefit of the company's initial idea?
Is this ironic?
Or is it something different, a purely literary device with an outside observer necessary for there to be irony?
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Carpal Tunnel
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They say that US'ns have no sense of irony. My best tale of irony comes from Hungary while I was there with People to People in 1969. We were taken to a Communist youth camp outside of Budapest where we were shown around and given a party. As one of the last two members to arrive at the party after horseback riding, I was struck on my irony bone when I realized that the rock band that was playing for us was playing "Back in the USSR". In English.
I have a favorite T-Shirt that I like to wear, especially under circumstances where I am not expected to know what's going on, but I know I do. It reads "I'm smiling because I have no idea what's going on". Sorry I couldn't answer your questions, but I did my best to add to the examples.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Being a US'n and therefore innately irony-deficient, I will nonetheless venture to say that you wearing that T-shirt, aorto, qualifies as visual irony. That only the people who know you would recognize it matters not, IMHO. On a different note: I think I ... seem to recognize it when it isn't. is the most whimsical, wonderful concept I've read about in a long, long time. Thank you! 
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Pooh-Bah
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While I would not necessarily consider Wikipedia to be an authoritiative source, it has a good essay on the various forms of irony.
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A. recently (on another board) characterized it as ironic that the Egghead villain on Batman was priceless. 
ÅΓª╥┐↕§
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Carpal Tunnel
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I usually *reject the common "jounalists" use of the word 'irony' when describing simple, entertaining, curious coincidences, but after a phlebotomy my reduced circulation seems to leave me with little resistance, reduced energy which allows for some absorbtion.
Does this make descriptivists naturally anemonic?
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I think it was in the movie "Reality Bites" that the main character enters the headquarters of a newspaper and asks for a job. She is told at reception to ask the editor. The editor is getting into an elevator, and rudely brushes her off, but when she (the main character) insists that she's a really good writer, he (the editor) holds open the elevator doors for a moment, and says:
"Define irony."
Said main character stares at editor in horror and says nothing. Elevator doors close on editor. Main character leaves, hangdog.
I always felt for her in that moment. What could she have said? "It's ironic I said I'm a good writer but can't define irony"?
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Carpal Tunnel
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As yet another irony-deaf American, all I'd be able to do is cite O. Henry's "Gift of the Magi." ----- (PS nice one, musick... )
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I've always found it hard work to differentiate ironic/sarcastic/paradoxical/satirical... The differences between some of these words in certain cases is pretty fine.
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old hand
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Or is it something different, a purely literary device with an outside observer necessary for there to be irony?
It's certainly about communication (Of course you can also communicate with yourself). Irony greatly broadens the palette of expression, at the price of more uncertainty in understanding - I would almost class irony among idioms.
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