L'humour pince-sans-rire — Deadpan

Second degré and deadpan humor

French conversation relies heavily on what the French call le second degré: saying something you do not literally mean, in the expectation that the listener will hear the real meaning. Ironic praise, mock enthusiasm and exaggerated politeness are all common, especially among friends, colleagues and family, and they are often delivered pince-sans-rire, with a perfectly straight face. Not catching it, prendre au premier degré, is a classic source of misunderstanding for newcomers, and French people themselves sometimes complain that someone "n'a pas le second degré." The signals are subtle. Context is the main one: praise for something obviously bad is ironic. Tone is another: a flat, unemphatic delivery of enthusiastic words. Fixed formulas help too, such as c'est malin, ça commence bien, il ne manquait plus que ça, merci du compliment, and the ironic use of sans blague or tu m'étonnes. Smiling usually spoils the effect. Irony in French often serves to express irritation without a scene, as Margaux does, and also affection: teasing, taquiner or chambrer, is a sign of closeness, and people who are teased in this way are usually being included rather than attacked. Learners do not need to produce much of it; recognizing it, and answering with a smile instead of an apology, already makes a great difference.