Chapter One Introduction 1
1.1 Background of the Study 2
1.1.1 An Overview of the Concept of Irony 4
1.1.2 Irony and Some Related Concepts 9
1.1.3 Irony Family 12
1.1.4 A Working Definition 14
1.2 Research Objectives 18
1.3 Research Methodology 19
1.3.1 A Socio-cognitive Approach 19
1.3.2 Data Sources 20
1.3.3 Methods of Data Analysis 21
1.4 Organization of the Book 21
Chapter Two Literature Review 24
2.1 Traditional Rhetorical and Semantic Approaches to Irony 24
2.2 Psycholinguistic Approaches to Irony 27
2.2.1 Giora's Graded Salience Hypothesis of Irony 28
2.2.2 Gibbs' Direct View of Irony 29
2.3 Pragmatic Approaches to Irony 31
2.3.1 Grice's View on Irony 31
2.3.2 Leech's Irony Principle 35
2.4 Cognitive Approaches to Irony 37
2.5 Cognitive and Pragmatic Approaches to Irony 39
2.5.1 The Echoic Mention/Interpretation Theory:Sperber＆Wilson's Study of Irony 39
2.5.2 The Pretense Theory of Irony 43
2.6 Social Approaches to Irony 45
2.6.1 Anolli,Inhfantino＆Ciceri's"Fencing Game"Model of Irony 45
2.6.2 Hutcheon's Evaluative Function of Irony 48
2.7 Summary 50
Chapter Three A Socio-cognitive Analysis of Ironic Discourses 54
3.1 Theoretical Foundations for the Socio-cognitive Framework of Ironic Discourses 54
3.1.1 The Frame Theory 55
3.1.2 The Theory of Cognitive Reference Point 58
3.1.3 The Theory of Context 61
3.1.3.1 Social and Functional Approaches to the Study of Context 61
3.1.3.2 Cognitive Approaches to the Study of Context 62
3.1.3.3 Socio-cognitive Approaches to the Study of Context 63
3.1.3.4 The Socio-cognitive Context and Irony 64
3.2 The Tentative Model of the Interpersonal Meanings Construction in Irony 65
3.2.1 Basic Assumptions 66
3.2.2 The Tentative Model and Elaborations of Its Components 74
3.2.2.1 The Interplay of Society,Cognition and Language in Ironic Discourses 76
3.2.2.2 The Reference Frame and the Emergent Frame 79
3.2.2.3 The Frame-profiling 81
3.3 The Illustrations of the Model 83
3.3.1 The Reversing Reference Points Pattern in Ironic Discourses 83
3.3.2 The Analogical Reference Points Pattern in Ironic Discourses 85
3.3.3 The Progressive Reference Points Pattern in Ironic Discourses 87
3.3.4 The Bird's Nest Reference Points Pattern in Ironic Discourses 90
3.4 Summary 93
Chapter Four Identity Negotiation in Ironic Discourses 94
4.1 Introduction 94
4.2 Static Identity Negotiation in Ironic Discourses 100
4.2.1 Identity Displaying in Ironic Discourses 100
4.2.2 Identity Defending in Ironic Discourses 103
4.2.3 Identity Profiling in Ironic Discourses 105
4.3 Dynamic Identity Negotiation in Ironic Discourses 111
4.3.1 Identity Shifting in Ironic Discourses 111
4.3.2 Identity Veiling in Ironic Discourses 115
4.3.3 Identity Unveiling in Ironic Discourses 121
4.3.4 Identity Reversing in Ironic Discourses 124
4.4 Summary 129
Chapter Five Stance-taking in Ironic Discourses 131
5.1 Introduction 131
5.2 Epistemic Stance-taking in Ironic Discourses 137
5.2.1 The Precedent Utterance-based Ironic Discourses 140
5.2.2 Mutual Manifest Physical Environment-based Ironic Discourses 142
5.2.3 Encyclopedia-based Ironic Discourses 145
5.2.4 Mutual Knowledge/Assumption-based Ironic Discourses 154
5.3 Affective Stance-taking in Ironic Discourses 157
5.3.1 Positive Stance-taking in Ironic Discourses 159
5.3.2 Negative Stance-taking in Ironic Discourses 171
5.4 Summary 179
Chapter Six Aligning Interpersonal Relationships in Ironic Discourses 181
6.1 Introduction 181
6.2 Power-loaded Ironic Discourses 183
6.2.1 Status-upgrading in Ironic Discourses 185
6.2.1.1 Status-upgrading by Degrading Others in Ironic Discourses 185
6.2.1.2 Status-upgrading by Self-effacing in Ironic Discourses 188
6.2.1.3 Status-upgrading by Feigning Ignorance in Ironic Discourses 191
6.2.2 Maximizing Hierarchical Status Differential in Ironic Discourses 195
6.2.2.1 Rank/Position-based Status Differential in Ironic Discourses 195
6.2.2.2 Administrative Status-based Differential in Ironic Discourses 201
6.2.2.3 Nationality-based Status Differential in Ironic Discourses 203
6.2.2.4 Legitimacy-based Status Differential in Ironic Discourses 205
6.2.3 Downgrading the Addressee's Status by Paying Compliments to the Third Party in Ironic Discourses 208
6.2.4 Depowering the Addressee in Ironic Discourses 212
6.3 Solidarity-loaded Ironic Discourses 214
6.3.1 Solidifying the Interpersonal Relationships in Ironic Discourses 216
6.3.1.1 Building an In-group Community in Ironic Discourses 217
6.3.1.2 Strengthening Intimacy by Derogating Others in Ironic Discourses 220
6.3.1.3 Defusing the Tension between the Interlocutors in Ironic Discourses 222
6.3.2 Alienating the Interpersonal Relationships in Ironic Discourses 224
6.3.2.1 Vetoing the Superior's Attempt to Solidify Relationships in Ironic Discourses 225
6.3.2.2 Excluding Oneself from the In-group Community in Ironic Discourses 226
6.3.2.3 Driving a Wedge in Ironic Discourses 228
6.4 Summary 230
Chapter Seven Conclusion 232
7.1 Major Arguments and Contributions of the Present Research 232
7.2 The Implications of the Present Research 235
7.3 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research 237
Bibliography 238