The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth Irony

Tick and Tock

Tock makes a ticking noise but his brother actually makes the tocking noise; ironically his brother is named Tick.

Milo Wasting Time

Milo was a child who constantly wasted time or killed time by doing nothing at all and not appreciating all the things there are to do, so it is ironic that his best friend and sidekick on his journey is Tock, a dog who is obsessively respectful of time and not wasting it.

The King and the Mathemagician Agreeing

Milo observes that the King and the Mathemagician are actually in complete agreement about never agreeing with each other, which is ironic because they never agree about anything.

Eating Until You Are Hungry

At Dictionopolis, people eat when they are full and eat until they are hungry. This is ironic because it is the opposite of what a meal is supposed to do.

Milo Feeling Busy

Once Milo gets back home, he is excited at the thought of revisiting the magical lands again, but realizes that there is too much to do in his own surroundings to have time for a new adventure. This is ironic because he was always a boy who felt that he had nothing to do and that there was nothing that interested him. It's all the same stimuli and schoolwork, but now he sees them in a new light.