Dana's poster board collapsed seconds before judging began. She looked at the pile and said, "This is going beautifully." What does Dana mean?

Traffic has not moved in twenty minutes and Omar's flight leaves within the hour. He says, "At this rate we'll get there by Thursday." What is Omar saying?

Smoke fills the kitchen and the casserole is black on top. Ravi opens a window and says, "Dinner smells incredible." What does Ravi mean?

Jonah knocks a full cup of juice across Mia's finished essay. Mia stares at the soaked page and says, "Nice aim." What is Mia expressing?

The gym heater has been broken for two days and students are wearing coats indoors. Coach Ellis walks in and says, "Nice and toasty in here." What does he mean?

Ms. Alvarez hands out a quiz that runs to twelve pages. Devon flips through it and says, "Oh good, a quick one." What is Devon suggesting?

Priya has lost her phone twice this month and left her keys at the pool. Her brother says, "You're so careful with your things." What does he mean?

The Ridgeway defense allowed six touchdowns in one half. Walking to the locker room, the captain says, "Airtight out there." What does the captain mean?

Rain has soaked the sleeping bags and the tent leans sideways in the mud. Tessa crawls inside and says, "Five-star accommodations." What is Tessa saying?

Bennett has held the remote all evening and refused every request to change the channel. His sister says, "Thanks for sharing." What does she mean?

The line at the license office has not moved in three hours, and the only clerk is on break. Hana says, "Efficiency at its finest." What does Hana mean?

A hailstorm smashed every window in the Ortiz house and tore off half the roof. Mr. Ortiz says, "We might need a small repair." What does he mean?

Luis practiced for weeks but forgot every line at his audition. Walking off stage, he says, "That was unforgettable." What does Luis mean?

Kai's new white sneakers are caked in mud after one walk to school. He looks down at them and says, "They look better than ever." What does Kai mean?

During a fire drill in freezing rain, Mr. Doyle stands with his class and says, "Perfect day to be outside." What effect does his wording create?

Marisol asked her lab partner three times to label the beakers, and he never did. She says, "You're a great listener." What attitude does her remark reveal?

Verbal irony depends on a gap between the words a speaker actually says and what else?

A forecaster promises clear skies, and hail falls all afternoon. This mismatch between expectation and outcome is not verbal irony because ___.

Two hours into a delayed bus ride with no air conditioning, Grandpa wipes his forehead and says, "We're traveling in style." What does he mean?

Aisha studied all night and still scored 42 percent. When her friend asks how the test went, she says, "I crushed it." What is Aisha communicating?

A bicycle shop advertises that its bikes lean on kickstands because they are "two-tired." What double meaning does "two-tired" carry?

The baker missed his own birthday party because the shop was busy. He explained, "I couldn't leave. I kneaded the dough." Why is this a pun?

After a day of tangled lines and lost catches, the fisherman tells his crew, "We've got reel problems." What double meaning does "reel" carry?

A poster for a school math club promises, "Join us and you will have sum fun." Why does the wording work as a pun?

A gardener who spends her days planting bulbs tells her nervous nephew before his race, "I'm rooting for you." What makes this a pun?

An electrician rewiring the school stops for lunch and tells the principal, "Let's discuss current events." What double meaning does "current" carry?

Every clock in the repair shop lies in pieces on the bench. When a customer asks the hour, the owner says, "I don't have the time." What double meaning results?

A butcher's new shop advertises that its meat is "a cut above the rest." What makes this wording a pun?

A shoe repair shop tells customers that its work is "good for the sole." Why is this slogan a pun?

A tree trimmer packs up after a long day of pruning branches and says, "I'm ready to leaf." What double meaning does the wording carry?

A joke book reads, "The old battery was taken to court, but it was only charged." What makes "charged" a pun in that sentence?

A photographer standing in her darkroom with film in the chemicals tells a friend, "This is a developing situation." What double meaning does she create?

The band's last song finishes on its highest chord. The conductor turns to the players and says, "We ended on a high note." What is the double meaning?

A farmer wins a county award, and the announcer calls him "outstanding in his field." Why does the phrase work as a pun?

An astronaut trainee has shared a cramped bunk room for six months. On the last day she says, "I really need my space." What is the double meaning?

A bank teller jokes that customers who never check their savings accounts have "lost interest." What makes the phrase a pun?

A worker at a glue factory laughs and tells a visitor that he is "stuck in this job." What double meaning does "stuck" carry?

A baseball player who also sells sporting goods after practice says, "I'm good at making a pitch." What is the double meaning?

Entering a cooking contest with everything on the line, the chef grins and says, "I'm willing to whisk it all." Why is this a pun?

A locksmith's advertisement promises that he is "the key to solving your lock problems." What double meaning does "key" carry there?