Relevance Theory, Figuration, and Continuity in Pragmatics

Within relevance theory, and contrarily to classical formalist models, it is claimed that figurative language does not require any special processing route, other than the steps followed in the addressee’s inferential recognition of the speaker’s communicative intention made manifest through the message encoded in a certain context. The present paper sets out to analyse humour and irony as used by Mikes in How to be a Brit as manifestations of figurative language following a relevance-theoretic