# Black fly in Chardonnay: how is it ironic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025 "2005-01-28T01:02:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cryptic\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@cryptic\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cryptic_j)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025/21 "2005-01-28T11:52:20Z")
Or TOWN planning… I don’t think anyone gives awards from Twon planning in this day and age… shame, my Twons have always been really well planned! ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025/22 "2005-01-28T12:05:01Z")
Here is some of it > [@](#): > > “Like a traffic jam when you’re already late.” > > That’s not ironic, it’s just a pain in the hole, that’s what that is. When was the last time you were late for something, got stuck in a traffic jam and said “Look at the irony on this, there’s irony for ya! I’ll tell ya I was in a fierce ironic traffic jam the other day I’ll tell ya. The irony was ninety!” > > No, there’s nothing ironic about being stuck in a traffic jam when you’re late for something. Unless you’re a town planner. If you were a town planner and you were on your way to a seminar of town planners at which you were giving a talk on how you solved the problem of traffic congestion in your area, but couldn’t get to it because you were stuck in a traffic jam, that’d be well ironic. “I’m sorry I’m late - you’ll never guess…” > > “It’s like rain on your wedding day.” Only if you’re marrying a weatherman and he set the date. > > I could go on and I will. > > A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break, that’s inconsiderate office management. A no-smoking sign in a cigarette factory - irony. It’s not a difficult concept, Alanis. It’s very rare you see an ironic no-smoking sign, although if you ever see one of those that say “thank-you for not smoking” and you are, that’s fairly ironic. > > The best line in that song has got to be the line “It’s like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife.” That’s not ironic, that’s just bloody stupid. > > How big is your sink, Alanis? We haven’t got 10,000 spoons beween us, have we? What do you need this knife for? To stab the bloke who keeps leaving spoons all over your house. But we’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. Imagine you needed a knife for something, couldn’t find one cause all you find was 10,000 spoons. Could happen. And therefore you couldn’t do whatever it was you needed the knife for - then the next day it turned out that a spoon would have done. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025/23 "2005-01-28T12:15:11Z")
I think the irony is created by the fact that Chardonnay is French for fly’s piss. And is Ed Burne the guy who used to do the routine (with big diagrams) taking the piss out of _All Things Bright and Beautiful_ by explaining it in terms of set theory? ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025/24 "2005-01-28T12:58:25Z")
There is at least one proper use of irony in the song (paraphrased): “As the plane went down, he thought well isn’t this nice?” That’s irony. Not the type of irony Alanis was singing about, but irony nonetheless. Which is in itself rather ironic. Also, if we’re generous, a man afraid to fly conquering his fears and crashing on his very first flight could be considered irony. No defense for the flies, no smoking signs, or traffic jams. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025/25 "2005-01-28T13:55:29Z")
Black fly in Chardonnay: how is it ironic? Because you ordered a white fly? Yeah, I know that’s not ironic either but that comment has been running through my head since I saw this thread. Since Alanis is asking if all this is ironic, perhaps she could have redeemed herself by adding a line at the end of the song, “Isn’t it ironic? Hey, I’m just asking because I have no idea.” ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025/26 "2005-01-28T16:32:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Black fly in Chardonnay: how is it ironic? Well, clearly it’s because black flies prefer Merlot. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025/27 "2005-01-28T17:18:28Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > “Waiter! What’s this black fly doing in my chardonnay?” > > _waits for it…_ Bobbing about. Do try and keep up. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025/28 "2005-01-28T17:24:30Z")
On a local radio show iKFOG nterview with Alanis Moronette (sp?), she is now using the excuse that the lack of irony in the song is in itself ironic. ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025/29 "2005-01-28T17:54:35Z")
I’ve always thought rain on your wedding day was perhaps the only true example of irony in the song. Rain on your wedding day is a traditional sign of good fortune for the marriage. On the other hand, it’s raining, on your wedding day, which doesn’t tend to do much for the wedding itself. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025/30 "2005-01-28T18:06:53Z")
She wasn’t talking about _rain_ on your wedding day, she CLEARLY said _ray-ee-ain_ on your wedding day. _Ray-ee-ain_ (raeainne) is a French-Canadian word for “first husband waking up from a coma”. Give the girl a little credit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-fly-in-chardonnay-how-is-it-ironic/287025.md?page=1)