Have you ever said something blatantly sarcastic that someone took seriously?
 

I'm a fairly sarcastic person (I think it's instilled in us from a young age here in New Jersey) and on occasion people just completely miss the fact that something I said is totally outside the realm of reality.

At a local Marine Corps reserve base we were setting up a navigation presentation for some Officer Candidates. One reservist is carrying this giant plywood compass which is used to show people the different parts of the compass (bezel, sight, etc). It's got to be 4ft by 4ft. I say to him, "You'd think they could make them smaller. It must be a real bitch carrying that in combat." He turns to me and says "It's not real, it's just a model." Me and another guy who understood what I meant just looked at each other and started cracking up.

I hear exactly what you are saying. Not sure if anyone could be more sarcastic than me. It seems like every other phrase out of my mouth is dripping with sarcasm.

I get taken seriously so often I hardly notice it anymore. Usually just have to backtrack and explain that I was not serious.

I saw a sign today saying "no hot food allowed on this coach", so I turned to my gf and asked her if she thought they would allow a curry straight from the fridge...

She thought for a bit, then lights flicked on, "aah, no. That would be hot, like spicy - you see!"

I think my face caused the penny to re-drop... ;)

Yes i have it happen to me all the time. Some people are born sarcastic. Some people are born to understand it. And some people are just Duh!!!!


I cant really explain any of the experiences to make this thread better. But needless to say it happens alot.

Keep up the great humor!

being sacarstic = ego polishing, even more when the person in question has no clue. personally hate to be a victim. the feeling really sucks, big time.

I can be very sarcastic. One of my favorite stories was when my son first met his best friend. They were in 5th grade. Friend asks me if he can have a drink of water. I reply, "I don't know, water cost so much these days. Maybe if you give me a quarter." He got really sad and said, "I don't have any money." Poor guy! Of course, my son, who knows my humor, was just cracking up.

It has been 7 years now and he laughs at how gullible he was; but I still manage to get him. When I moved into this house last summer he put a bunch of boxes in the garage. He asks, "how is that?" I reply, "fine if you want to do a job 1/2 way, but they really go in the attic." I was even laughing and his friends were laughing. But he says, "you don't know her, she means it." And he put all the boxes in the attic. Oh well, free labor:D

Sarcasm is far from effective communication.
However, it may entertain the person who uses it - often at the explicit or implied expense of the recipient(s).

If you feel highly motivated to employ sarcasm as a method of communication, it's best used among friends.

And of course, in typing on the Internet, it is typically problematic.

To answer your question directly, not since I was in college.
At some point, I decided it wasn't how I wanted to be (mis)understood.

I'm sarcastic for the point of humor. People will think I'm serious but a couple seconds later, they know I'm joking. Plus I don't be sarcastic in a mean way. All my friends are used to my humor now though :)

Yeah, there ya go - it works among friends, no problem.
Limiting it to that context is a definite upgrade to one's people skills.

This is pretty much where I'm at a s well. ART states a good point in the disruption this type of persona can have in communication. One of the difficult areas for allot of people (including myself sometimes) is not taking things personally. Each persons reality is different. I sometimes have to remind myself that not everyone has the same sense of humor as I do. Depending on the scenerio it takes work to keep it in check. I wonder if that means I've become cynical?

My friend at college had a red mark next to her mouth. Completely joking, I told her it looked like herpes. She went to the doctor to see if it was.

JEESH! I think people are misunderstanding my meaning (the irony is overwhelming). While some may be sarcastic in a mean sense, my sarcsam is never directed at someone as has been described. It is purely for entertainment value. The point was to picture someone carrying a friggin 4ft wide compass around the woods while people are shooting at them. The laughter from me and the other guy was about how stupid he thought I must have been to think that anyone carries that thing around for directions.

If not for sarcasm, my ego would be rusty and pitted.

well, sometimes threads go where they will.
folks just riff off the main ideas adding general comments on the topic, etc.

I think we get your humor.
I do... :)

oblig simpon's quote:

are you being sarcastic, dude?

i don't even know anymore...

It happens to me at least 4-5 times a day.

I bloody sick of it, too.

I SHALL DEFEND SARCASM!

sarcasm in cruel way is pathetic. i despise it; unless it's something so stupid that a brick's jaw falls open in surprise at someone being so clueless.

i do it all the time. sometimes i feel bad. i always let people know. some people though. fuck them. being in a wheelchair i get asked a lot of stuff and i enjoy it. sometimes........ you wouldn't believe some shit i am asked. at these times my sarcasm is indeed a knife unsheathed.

otherwise my sarcasm in r/l is more 'cute'. funny, but not offensive.

i am an overly defensive person, too....

of course i can't think of one example!

PS: sarcasm on the internet..... know the person you type to. sarcasm comes accross totally wrong when typed.

I like to be sarcastic, for the humour of it.... But i hate it when the people around it dont understand it. This is why I've stopped using sarcasm so often :(

Z, did I ever tell you that I worship you in every way? Thats hilarious!

Sarcasm in speech is best though, when you can look at the other person with a deadpan stare and a twinkle in your eye.

Otherwise, when typing, it needs to be something like "the osbournes are on the moon" or something incredibly ridiculus to be properly pulled off...

sarcastic humor is great, me and my friends use it a lot.

it's even funnier when one or two people just don't get it. as long as there are others that do get it ;)

Bah. Say what you want about sarcasm. It is the greatest thing ever invented. :D

:thumbsup:

yeus!! Sarcasm rocks.. except when it IS taken the wrong way.. then that just takes the spice out of it.. unless you have someone else around to laugh with you :D

I was talking to a friend, and she asked what "REM" sleep meant.

I casually responded that it was "Rolling Eye Movement." When you dream, your eyes roll back into your head, looking straight up, so they can look at your brain and see your dreams.

Yes, it was in good fun, but it completely convinced a couple of friends for a little while. Now it's a joke where we roll our eyes whenever we're "dreaming" :-D

I get that fairly often. Recent example: a chick at work asked me if I had any spare bar cloths. I said "yes" and held one out to her. She asked if she could have it and I replied "no, that's why I'm offering to you." She took me seriously at first, said "oh" and started to turn away before clicking, laughing, telling me to shut up and taking the cloth.

I only use "cruel" sarcasm around friends and family who I know won't take it the wrong way, unless it's someone who has pissed me off badly enough that I feel they deserve it.

Yeah lol sometimes it just hurts, sometimes sarcasm is a bit subtle though and you can't blame the person.

One time my friend and I were in the lockeroom and we had just finished playing hockey with a bunch of people. One of the guys mentioned he was going to play squash now and my friend said "jeez what are you trying to do give yourself a heart attack?" and the guy was like "Huh? no......" and he had the look like "wtf is this asshole talking about." We all just kind of looked at each other and rolled our eyes

I had a friend who would deliver his lines with a totally straight face, then say "just kidding" to show it was sarcasm a few moments later. That was pure evil. But the way he did it, it was always funny. I don't know what it was, but even with the most deadpan delivery you could see it coming if you were observant. He just had a look in his eye or something. Later he went off to the army, I hope he doesn't try that with his officers.

http://archive.aclu.org/news/w050898a.html

The district shelled out (as later found out through public records) $50,000 in legal fees on their end before they finally buckled and admitted the sarcastic nature of what I wrote. :)

I was sarcastic in high school but I decided that I didnot want to be such a nasty asshole so I pretty much quit doing it.

Damn Journeyman you sure stirred up a hornets nest. Thanks for sharing.

i got asked by a newhire at work how to get a raise, i told him that if he wanted a raise he would have to do sexual favors for the boss... cant believe that he thought i was for real

No

Sarcasm in our Country is a way of life.
For me personally it is the lifeblood at work due to the good natured response's we all give everytime someone retorts.
We are so lucky here with this type of humour and for me it is,when taken the right way,essential to our social make up.
Laugh at it and embrace.

And so two dogs,

your point is?

Sarcasm is a second language to me. I don't think I could communicate without it.

Have you ever said something blatantly sarcastic that someone took seriously?

Never! :p

Webster's Very Abridged Dictionary:
<b>Sarchasm</b>: The mental void that lies between the originator of a sarcastic remark and his intended victim, who remains clueless to its meaning.

I am an insanely sarcastic person, but it's always in fun, and never to actually hurt or belittle. It's a fun tool of the language, and I use it as much as I can. lol

Now that would have been a FAR better title for the thread. Oh well.

agreed.
it certainly is a way of life here.
its a primary facet of mateship.
in fact, i´d go so far as to say that its un-Australian not to love it and use it every day.

have i ever said something blatantly sarcastic that someone took seriously??

yes, all the time. especially to those wonderful tourists who think that our English is good for Australians.

A favorite quote of mine: "Tact is for those not witty enough to be sarcastic"

I love that quote.

Sarcasm is a way to stroke your ego, but for those who actually get it, it's a great source of entertainment as well. Somehow I end up using sarcasm in almost everything I say now adays, and it's great to see peoples reactions, especially because I do it with such a straight face all the time. Yeah it may offend some people but I say screw em. I like to be sarcastic and if they don't like it, well, they probably didn't understand it anyways.

I grew up in a very sarcastic family, and enjoy it immensely. If you meet me on the street or in a business situation, you will think, "That's the nicest, most strait forward guy I have ever met." Once you get to know me, you will just think I'm a bastard or damn funny.