yeah, whatever

There is a difference between being ironic and being sarcastic. So, what's the difference?  According to quite a few Google searches on the matter, not much.  But I beg to differ, which is both a cliche and a nice little piece of irony. In the era of shouting-match disagreements, ridiculous discourse at maximum volume, and TV hosts who cultivate guest lists for the most obvious level of mutual disdain, begging to differ with someone is charmingly quaint, and an irony, considering the current state of affairs.

As a writer, it will serve you well to know the difference.  Calling your brother a real math genius when he fails to calculate the tip for the dinner tab correctly is sarcastic.  Suggesting that he was perhaps absent on the day they taught tip calculation 101 in eighth grade is also sarcastic. As is calling him a skinflint.  Suggesting that his smart phone tip-calculator app might like to weigh in on the  matter is ironic.  How so?  Because the first three responses insult him outright, and the last one simply reminds him that he has a smart phone tip calculator app. A slight difference, but a difference nonetheless.

Irony is Mark Twain writing in all seriousness about the decaying art of lying while expounding on the ubiquitous need for the everyday lie, considering the general high-horse view on lying.  Shouting out "YOU LIE!" during a presidential speech to a joint session of congress is sarcastic and a bit coarse, though certainly in keeping with the history of that honorable body of governance.  Suggesting that a dubious plan for national health care may "need a few of the details worked out" is ironic.  And a bit sardonic as well, which is a related topic, though it might confuse things here a bit, so I'll leave it for another day.

Think of using irony as opposed to using sarcasm as the difference between using a rapier or a baseball bat to commit a murder.  The outcome may be the same, but the ensuing scene is entirely different.  They both may have their appropriate moment, but what one makes up for in convenience the other highlights forethought and style.  They both produce some blood and grievous wounds for the recipient.