The one with all the sarcasm: Pauline Madella discusses the pragmatics of Chandler Bing’s sarcastic humour

Abstract

It is precisely this subjectivity – what Perry called Chandler’s “world-weary yet witty view of life”, his sharing of impressions, emotions, feelings, attitudes and moods – that is “descriptively ineffable”. In those instances where Chandler does not commit to one single interpretation, but rather offers a diffuse impression, it is hard to pin down exactly what it is that is being expressed. And yet we understand his intentions. In order to understand, we attend to a number of nonverbal as well as verbal cues and do a great amount of inferential reconstruction. In my research, I urge language practitioners (specifically second language practitioners) to expose language learners to instances of ineffable communication, where attention to nonverbal stimuli is key to understanding the speaker’s intended effects. When I am asked how I learned English as a second language, I often say “By watching Friends”. The tragic passing of Matthew Perry on 28 October 2023 was followed by an outpouring of tributes from his friends and fans across the globe. They remembered him as a comedy legend who was able to nail a complex mix of timing, pace, cadence and emphasis, while bringing joy – and belly-aching laughter – to millions. Beyond its contribution to Linguistics and my sharing of a long-held passion for Pragmatics with language lovers, this article is meant as a tribute to Matty Perry and the iconic Chandler Muriel Bing.