The color of irony
Reg introduces humour flagging
Posted in Bootnotes, 1st February 2001 12:01 GMT
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Judging by the letters we get, it seems that some Reg readers have trouble distinguishing the serious from the tongue-in-cheek.
This is not to say that they're thick - just that humour does not always successfully cross international boundaries. Let's face it, we smarmy and sarky Brits will throw in a bit of ironic drollery at the drop of a hat. And if you don't get it, well, that's when unfortunate misunderstandings can occur.
To rectify this problem, the Vulture Central Humour Comprehensibility Committee has devised a colour coding system to flag various levels of wit. In future:
- Droll insinuation will be sage green
- Mild sarcasm will be burgundy
- Smarminess will be ultramarine
- Irony will be lavender
- Flippancy will be sunflower orange
- Biting sarcasm will be pillar box red
- Humour liable to cause offence will be in an insipid yellow which you can only read when you highlight it
Additionally, out-and-out jokes will be preceded by the following graphic warning:
We hope that this clarifies things. Thankyou for your attention. ®
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