What type of irony is it when the reader knows more than the characters do?

What type of irony is it when something happens that is the opposite of what you expect?

Your partner shows up in wrinkled jeans, a stained t-shirt, and dirty sneakers. With a smirk, you say, "Oh! I see you dressed up for our date. We must be going somewhere fancy!"

What type of irony is this?

Looking at her son's messy room, Mom says, "Wow, you could win an award for cleanliness!"

What type of irony is this?

Moviegoers see a man walking in the woods and a poisonous snake waiting on the path ahead. The man keeps walking toward the snake.

What type of irony is this?

The dish you are cooking calls for 1 teaspoon of salt, but you've put in 1 tablespoon of salt, which is the equivalent of 3 teaspoons. When your guest tastes the dish, she winces, reaches for a glass of water, and tells you the dish needs more salt.

What type of irony is this?

In the short story The Gift of the Magi, a young couple each sacrifices their most prized possession to buy a gift for the other. The wife sells her long hair to buy a chain for her husband's pocket watch, while the husband sells his watch to buy combs for his wife's hair. The irony lies in the fact that both gifts are rendered useless by the sacrifices made, as the wife's hair is cut and the husband no longer has a watch.

What type of irony is this?

In a competitive eating contest where participants are challenged to eat as much meat as possible, a vegan unexpectedly wins. This outcome would be an example of an irony because it goes against the expectation that a meat eater would have an advantage in such a competition.

What type of irony is this?

The owner of a high fashion store will sometimes pretend to be a salesperson behind the counter. While packing up a sale, she asks a customer how she’s been treated at the store. “All right,” the customer says, “but if all your salespeople cared as much as you, this would be a much better store.”

What type of irony is this?

Harold loses the combination to the home safe where he and his wife Greta keep their valuables. He needs to sell something to make an important purchase, so he goes to great lengths to get it pried open with the help of a locksmith. When he finally gets it opened, he finds that it is empty—his wife had put the valuables in a safe deposit box at the bank.

What type of irony is this?

Angie’s science teacher, Mr. Greene, tells Angie she will “never be a scientist.” Angie takes this statement as a challenge. She redoubles her efforts in her science classes, goes on to college and graduate school and becomes a leader in her field. When asked to speak at her former school, Angie begins her speech with, “I owe it all to Mr. Greene.”

What type of irony is this?

Anna is sitting outside a store waiting for her twin sister Pam to come out with their drinks. Kevin comes up, and Anna quickly realizes that Kevin thinks he’s speaking to Pam. She plays along, asking Kevin what he thinks of Anna. Kevin is shocked when Pam comes out, revealing that he has been talking to Anna all along.

What type of irony is this?

One hundred students take the Power Booster challenge. They are given Power Booster energy drink and three competitors’ energy drinks to sample and judge which one gave them the most energy. The results come in. One bottle that contains only colored water comes in first place. It beats out all of the energy drinks.

What type of irony is this?