Isn't it ironic? Plus, the man behind the guillotine

About this episode

This episode explores the concept of irony and the history of the guillotine in relation to Bastille Day.

1202. This week, we look at the tricky question of what makes something ironic, including situational irony, verbal irony, and "skunked" words, with help from psychologist and author Roger Kreuz. Then, for Bastille Day, we look at how the guillotine got its name (ironically) from a man who actually opposed the death penalty. The "ironic" segment was by Roger Kreuz, associate dean and professor of psychology at the University of Memphis. It originally appeared on The Conversation and appears here through a Creative Commons license . 🔗  Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. 🔗  Share your familect recording in   Speakpipe  or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) 🔗  Watch my   LinkedIn Learning writing courses . 🔗  Subscribe to the   newsletter . 🔗  Find an edited   transcript . 🔗  Get   Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of  the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network . Audio Engineer:  Castria Communications Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian Podcast Associate…

People in this episode

Host: Mignon Fogarty

Guest: Roger Kreuz

Topics covered

• irony
• situational irony
• verbal irony
• guillotine
• Bastille Day
• psychology
• language

Keywords

• irony
• situational irony
• verbal irony
• guillotine
• Bastille Day
• Roger Kreuz
• psychology
• language

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Memphis, The Conversation, Grammar Girl, Quick and Dirty Tips, Castria Communications, LinkedIn Learning

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