This research belongs to the pragmatics approach. The aim of this
research is to identify and classify the kinds of flouting and hedging maxim used
by the two main characters in The Big Bang Theory movie series season 12 based
on Grice’s Co‐operative Principle theory. It is supported with three other
theories: Semiotic System that strengthens the implied meaning behind the
speaker’s utterances; Flouting Maxim Strategy that is used in applying the
flouting maxim; and Illocutionary Function to identify the reason of the flouting
maxim used by the main characters. This is a mixed‐method research in which
employes qualitative approach to obtain a deeper observation and analysis, also
quantitative approach to support the analysis and present the occurrence of five
points mentioned above in the movie.
The data were taken from the utterances containing flouting maxim
conveyed by Leonard and Sheldon as the main characters in the movie. Based on
the obtained data, there are 102 utterances containing flouting maxim. The main
characters flout all maxims, but they mostly use flouting maxim of relevance
(35,3%) and flouting maxim of manner (30,4%) due to their preference to not
express their idea directly in a brief and obscure way. The characters like to state
something by referring it to another thing that represents their idea or thought
which leads them to mostly apply methapor strategy (25%). Among ten
strategies available in the list, only tautology which never appears in the movie
since they do not like to emphasize their opinion by stating two same words in
one sentence. The two main characters are more into giving opinion, either a
positive one or a negative one, than questioning, asking for something, or giving
compliment which make them mostly employ collaborative reason (47,1%) and conflictive reason (30,4%). Gestural semiotic system (56,1%) is mostly used to
highlight their intentions behind the utterances they produce. In hedging the
maxim in their statements, they only use three ways: ‘well’, ‘I think’, and ‘I mean’
that appear 20 times in total. The maxim of Co‐operative Principle which often
hedged is the maxim of quantity (35%).