Use of the word Irony here?

[Starstreams]

I got confused how some words are used in different ways. For example: I know that Irony is; the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning:

But if I said; Irony of bad timing.

What doses it mean? In other words, what doses irony have to do with timing? I read this in a song writing book, and I’m not sure how to interpret it? The figure of speech is referring to a song tilted “Send in the clowns”.

[MrPedantic]

Hello Starstreams,

In popular usage, "irony" also denotes an incongruity or contrast or discrepancy between what happened, and what one might have expected to happen.

It's a little difficult to know what your example means, without the full context; but an "irony of bad timing" might refer to a piquant accidental contrast: without the "bad timing", the contrast might never have occurred.

All the best,

MrP