The conversation happens when Nick meets Captain in Winston-Salem. Previously, Captain says that BR has an idea that they should start bribing
producers in Hollywood to make the actors smoke on screen, like in the old days. In fact, that idea comes from Nick. When Nick and BR have a meeting in
Academy of Tobacco Studies office, Nick delivers his idea to BR. However, BR admits Nick’s idea as his idea. He says to Captain that it is his idea to bring
cigarettes back into movie. In response to Captain’s opinion that BR is smart, Nick says ‘yeah’.
Besides, he also says that BR is loyal in a sarcastic tone. Saying BR is loyal is actually the opposite of what Nick thinks. Thus, Nick implies something behind it.
In short, Nick flouts the maxim of quality by giving using irony because he expresses a positive sentiment but implies the negative one.
e. Being Irrelevant
Being irrelevant is used to flout the maxim of relation. A speaker does not give relevant statement to the topic but she implies an implicature behind it. An
example of this strategy is shown in the following datum. Captain: I want you to work on this Hollywood project. Get out there the
next few weeks, stir things up and report directly to me.
Nick : Sir, about the, the 50 million…
RLIR00:24:04 The above conversation happens between Nick and Captain. In their way
to airport, they talk about the planning to bring cigarettes back into the movie. Captain wants Nick to work on the project. He asks Nick to get out there for the
next few weeks, stir things up and report directly to him.
However, instead of giving response to the movie project, Nick asks something else. He asks Captain about the 50 million anti-teen smoking
campaign, which is not relevant to the topic they talk about. In this case, Nick flouts the maxim of relation by being irrelevant because he wants to confirm
whether Captain approves the campaign or not. The second example of being irrelevant as the strategy to flout the maxim
is the following conversation between Nick and Polly. Polly : Hey, he didn’t fuck her. You didn’t fuck her, did you? When?
Nick : Look, she’s a really nice girl.
RLIR01:04:22 Nick, Polly and Bobby are in their weekly meeting at Bert’s restaurant.
They discuss about the article written by Heather Holloway after she interviewing Nick. Polly and Bobby get angry to Nick because he tells Heather about MOD
Squad, includes their secrets. In a minute, they have some arguments. Bobby says that Nick fucked Heather, but Polly does not believe it. Polly asks Nick, does he
fuck Heather, if yes, when he does it. In answering Polly, Nick says ‘look, she’s a really nice girl’ which is
irrelevant to Polly’s question. In this case, Nick tries to defend himself by flouting the maxim of relation by being irrelevant.
Another example can be seen in the dialogue between Nick and a man below.
The man: Says here there are many adverse reactions from those things. Let’s see, arrhythmia, constipation, dyspepsia, nausea...
Pharyngitis, sinusitis... dysmenorrhea.. I don’t even want to know what that means.
Nick : Hey, look, I guess you could start by, you know, asking for five million, working your way up from there.
RLIR00:58:31
The dialogue takes place in a car when Nick is kidnapped by a group of people. Nick is being interrogated. One of the men reads a pack of cigarettes. He
reads the reactions caused by cigarettes. Previously, he says to Nick that they want Nick to stop killing people. It is related to Nick’s job as a spokesperson of
Academy of Tobacco Studies, since he convinces people to smoke. However, in response the man, Nick says something irrelevant. He says
that they could start asking a huge ransom. It obviously does not relate to what man said, which is about the reactions that are brought by cigarettes. In this case,
Nick flouts the maxim of relation by giving an irrelevant statement.
f. Being Obscure
