March 1, 2002

Sarcasm: prosody

Examples from the Santa Barbara Corpus of Spoken American English.

2 532 5:12:68

(H) So October fourth [2rolls around,
LENORE: [2(H)=2]
ALINA: and ~Liza had to go do some2]thing,
so they're stuck babysitting ~Cassandra.
... Great.
.. You know,
just your big thrill [in the world,
LENORE: [How old is she now].
ALINA: this little] piss ass.

14:15:00

ALINA: .. So I] have this pair of suede pants that I got,
you've seen them probably <MRC ninety million times MRC>.
I got those from Sak's Fifth off,
they're m=en's.
LENORE: @@@@@[@@ @]
ALINA: [You know there's nothing gr]eat about those [2pants,
LENORE: [2@@2]
ALINA: and they're2] f=ilthy.
And there's p=arts in them,
[you know],
LENORE: [(Hx)]
ALINA: where --
[I mean they use substandard stuff,
LENORE: [@@@@@@@@@@@]
ALINA: so there's % --
.. you know,
these goofy little white <VOX spots VOX>],
and everything,
(H) and they're going,
.. <VOX oh,
~Alina,
you look [so ch=ic,
LENORE: [(Hx)=]
ALINA: in your] suede pants VOX>.
And I'm going,
<VOX oh,
yeah,
real ch=ic VOX>.
You know,
my hair's dirty,
I have it pulled back in a pony tail,
I know I look <VOX lovely VOX>.

1 514 4:05:58

.. <Q fla[vors of the evening.
MARILYN: [<X Now it will be the X> .. @spray @on @@@]
ROY: Just add food Q>].
@ [2@@2]
PETE: [2@Spray on@2],
MARILYN: @
PETE: @
MARILYN: <VOX spray on olive oil.
[Oh] boy VOX>.
PETE: [@@] @
MARILYN: [2<HI Woo= HI>2].
PETE: [2@2]
... Is it really.
MARILYN: .. %Uh,
.. yes.
... It's uh --
.. it's really icky.
PETE: How bizarre.
MARILYN: .. But,
... I'm gonna cut this up,
so I <% can fry= it %>.
PETE: ... S- --
.. How come like,
.. the bread crumbs weren't already attached to the fish,
or the [pan],
MARILYN: [@]
PETE: or something.
MARILYN: (H)
PETE: [(H) @@@]
MARILYN: [Well I] probably <@ could've bought it that way @>.
PETE: @@
MARILYN: But I- --
.. you know,
.. I said,
I want it to be homemade.
You know,
something special.
PETE: .. Well at [least] they are uh like already breaded --
ROY: [Hm],
PETE: .. I mean crumbed and in the jar,
ROY: they're [working] on [2breed2]ing .. pre-breaded .. red snapper.
PETE: [XX]
MARILYN: [2Yeah2].
@@[3@3]
ROY: [3On3] fish farms.

WENDY: [Do you have a] [2dishwa2]sher in your ... apartment,
KENDRA: I] [2know2].
... Nope,
I get to handwash everything.
WENDY: Oh honey.
... (H) Oh you're gonna [have so much fun].
KEN: [Isn't there a dishwasher

KENDRA: [4Well by that time4] I'm gonna be married,
and I'm not gonna need em.
.. Bu=t.
KEVIN: ... (Hx) (TSK)
WENDY: ... @@ [You want,
KENDRA: [<X That would be good X>],
WENDY: What].
[2You're gonna get m=arried,
KEVIN: [2Did you notice the room got deathly silent2]?
WENDY: and you'll have2] all [3kind of money3]?
KEN: [3Yeah.
What are you3] gonna [4say4].
KEVIN: [4@4][5@ when5] [6#Kendie mentioned marriage6]?
KEN: [5@@5]
WENDY: [5<MRC Ha (H) ha5] [6.. ha ha.
(H) Ha6] (H) ha .. [7ha ha MRC>7].
KEVIN: [7(DRINK)7]
WENDY: (H) You think you'll get married and have all kinds of money.
KENDRA: [Oh yeah.
WENDY: [(H) <MRC Ha h=a .. ha ha MRC>].
KENDRA: I'm <X marrying into X> the money].
KEN: Ho [2ho ho=2].
KENDRA: [2He's gonna be an engineer,
I'm2] gonna be a manager of a Merrill Lynch branch,
KEN: O[3=h .. ho ho3].
KENDRA: [3(H) I'll be making3] well over seventy,
I'll be making a lot more than hi=[m].
KEN: [O][2=h2].
MARCI: [2Cough2],
choke,
sputter,
... Well over [seven][2ty=2]?
KEVIN: [@]
KENDRA: [Dad's] __
KEN: [2Good2].
[3Yeah3].
KENDRA: [3Dad's3] [4like,
KEVIN: [3That doesn't3] [4happen in America4].
KENDRA: you won't make4] half of what I make.
Ha ha.
(H)
KEN: .. Wha=t?
WENDY: (Hx)
KENDRA: .. Dad's like,
you won't make half of [what I make.
KEN: [Oh,
MARCI: [By virtue of] [2being fe2]male,