Italicized Irony 101: The Crash Course

A Crash Course on the Art of Saying What You Mean, But Not Really

Italics are not just for book titles or fancy writing. They're for saying one thing, but meaning another. It's like a wink to the reader, saying "I'm being ironic, but don't worry about it."

But don't just take our word for it. Here's a list of the top 10 uses of italicized irony:

• 1. To add emphasis, but not really.
• 2. To convey sarcasm, but without being too obvious.
• 3. To sound smart, but not actually be smart.
• 4. To make a point, but really just to confuse.
• 5. To be funny, but not really.
• 6. To be serious, but not really.
• 7. To be ironic, but not really.
• 8. To add flavor, but not really.
• 9. To be pretentious, but not really.
• 10. To be a mix of all the above, but not really.

And that's it. That's all you need to know about italicized irony. Now go forth, dear reader, and use it for good, or for evil. The choice is yours. (Or not.)

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