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Part of
Relevance Theory, Figuration, and Continuity in Pragmatics
Edited by Agnieszka Piskorska
[Figurative Thought and Language 8] 2020
► pp. 327–350

Chapter 12
Humour and irony in George Mikes’ How to be a Brit

| University of Zaragoza, Spain

Within relevance theory, and contrarily to classical formalist models, it is claimed that figurative language does not require any special processing route, other than the steps followed in the addressee’s inferential recognition of the speaker’s communicative intention made manifest through the message encoded in a certain context. The present paper sets out to analyse humour and irony as used by Mikes in How to be a Brit as manifestations of figurative language following a relevance-theoretic approach. It will be shown that the inferential steps followed by the addressee in coping with the message communicated by the speaker with different degrees of strength can be exploited for the expression of irony and humour.

Keywords: George Mikes, How to be a Brit, figurative language, humour, irony
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretic framework
  • 3.Analysis: Strategies and purposes for the conveyance of irony and humour in George Mikes’ How to be a Brit
    • 3.1The prefaces
    • 3.2A relevance-theoretic analysis of humour and irony in George Mikes’ How to be a Brit
      • a.Resolution of ambiguities or disambiguation
      • b.Reference assignment
      • c.Enrichment or filling of a semantic gap
      • d.Derivation of implicatures
      • e.Irony and humour resulting from a contradiction of expectations
  • 4.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 20 May 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ftl.8.12cas
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