When Marilyn Walker was a little girl, her grandmother introduced her to sarcasm through genteel put-downs that sounded sweet but weren’t. She’s been intrigued by figurative language ever since. “I ...

Sarcasm is a form of communication intended to convey the opposite of what is literally said. It is most often used to criticize someone, e.g., stating, “You’re really good at this!” to a friend who ...