The Clue
Swiftian device (5 letter answer)
The Answer
IRONY
Tags
Notes
The answer IRONY is seen frequently, appearing about once every 180 puzzles.
Related Clues
Ferric
Ferrous
Ferruginous
Incongruousness
Sarcasm
Certain humor
Dramatic device
Literary device
Literary form
Mockery of a sort
Sarcasm of a sort
Satiric twist
Satiric wit
Satirist's tool
Stinging surprise
Subtle sarcasm
Subtle twist
Twisted humor
Wit of a sort
Forte of O. Henry
"The Gift of the Magi" feature
"Gulliver's Travels" feature
Humor not for dummies
Much-misunderstood writing
O. Henry device
O. Henry specialty
O. Henry technique
Often-missed humor
Sardonic form of humor
Socratic ___ (pretended ignorance)
It may feature a twist
O. Henry literary device
O. Henry's favorite device
O. Henry's pet device
It's not to be taken literally
Definition
IRONY as a noun:
1. (sarcasm, irony, satire, caustic remark) = witty language used to convey insults or scorn; "he used sarcasm to upset his opponent"; "irony is wasted on the stupid"; "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"--Jonathan Swift
2. incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs; "the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated"
3. a trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs