Literary notes about malapropos (AI summary)
In literature, malapropos is employed to denote remarks or actions that seem strikingly out of place or ill-timed, often adding a layer of irony or social awkwardness. Writers use the term to signal that a comment, visit, or behavior is unsuited to its context—be it a conversation that stumbles into inappropriate territory [1] or a remark that humorously disrupts a moment's expected propriety [2]. At times, the word characterizes individuals whose very nature is steeped in untimely or incongruous expressions, as when a character boasts a “genius for the malapropos” [3] or when a sudden remark becomes emblematic of an atmosphere charged with unintentional discord [4].