Irony - the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
- a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result.
- a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions is clear to the
audience or reader although unknown to the character.
Irony is often only perceivable if one knows enough about the situation or speaker's way of thinking to understand their intent. It's easy to miss when written by a stranger, or if the reader is not from the same culture.
There are times when I'm not sure and have to look up someone's profile to guess at their meaning. But then, some characters here hardly ever speak with anything but irony. I usually find it easier to ignore them. Trying to answer feels too much like stumbling into a trap.