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Irony, deadpan and the Spanish office
Irony is one of the last things a second-language speaker learns to read, and Spanish irony has particular features that catch out English speakers. It is often delivered deadpan, with little change in face or voice, which is what Alex means when he says Spaniards use the same tone as the weather forecast. Context and the relationship carry the meaning: an exaggerated complaint between friends, a too-polite remark from a colleague, praise that is obviously excessive. A set of fixed phrases signals it, ¡pues sí que …!, anda que …, lo que faltaba, a buenas horas, ¡tiene gracia!, and learners who know them can at least spot the frame even when the tone is flat. Regional styles differ, and Spaniards joke about it constantly. Humor from the Basque Country, Íñigo's home, has a reputation for being dry and understated; Andalusian humor for being quick, exuberant and full of wordplay; Madrid's for being sharp and street-wise. Like all such stereotypes they are partly true and endlessly debated. In an office of people from different regions, as most are, mutual teasing about where everyone comes from is part of the social glue. The social function matters more than the form. In Spanish workplaces, teasing, la guasa, is a sign of acceptance. People are teased once they belong, and being able to tease back, as Alex finally does, is a signal that you belong too. Taking every ironic remark personally, darse por aludido, is the newcomer's mistake; answering it with a well-placed indirecta is how you stop being the newcomer. Carmen's advice, keep a straight face and wait for the other person to laugh first, is about as good a rule as there is.