Flouting a Maxim
Pattern
Obvious maxim violation→search for intended meaning — deliberate breach for effect
Definition
Deliberately and obviously violating a conversational maxim to generate an implicature. The speaker makes their violation conspicuous so the hearer searches for the intended meaning behind the breach.
Examples
Example 1
'Oh, he's a fine friend!' said sarcastically after a betrayal — flouts the maxim of quality (truthfulness) to implicate the opposite meaning.
AI Detection Note
AI very rarely flouts maxims intentionally. Genuine flouting requires shared context and trust that the audience will detect the violation. AI's preference for clear, explicit communication works against this pragmatic strategy.
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