Isn't it sardonic?

OK apropos of navel-gazing mostly, Herschel Smith paid me a few compliments while disagreeing with me on the Afghan ROE issue, and he got me thinking. Not about ROE, but about language. He said I was sardonic and while I understand it is a compliment calling me some sort of dark, smart ass, I have questions.

Is sardonic just the description of an attitude, or are their actual acts of sardony, like irony, I could perpetrate or instances of sardonicality that could be pointed out? Is sardonism something that could be practiced like hedonism? I mean, I'm pretty good at that. Which brings me to my buddy Sammy, who was not the brightest bulb on the tree, but an amazing hedonist. We were watching a wicked, lesbian comic eviscerate Alannis Morrisette for her song Ironic, which ironically contained not an iota of irony.

Sammy asked me what irony was if not the series of unfortunate events chronicled in the song. I gave him a definition, described the song as self-ironic and noted several simple ironies. He continued to look at me like a hog examining a wristwatch. But about a year later, I got a call from him and he was so excited he could hardly contain himself. "Jimmy I got it, Jimmy I got it. Ice-T made his money with a song called "Cop Killa" and now he plays a cop on TV".

Ding, ding, ding I told him. Now I invite your answers and abuse on the topic of sardony, which sounds fun and dirty and I want to learn.

posted by Uncle Jimbo at 09:26 PM

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