This paper aims at providing a pragma-linguistic analysis of the complex speech act of satire in selected instances of Egyptian stand-up comedy. In particular, the focus of the research is on stand-up comedy as a satirical humorous communicative act; that is, it is a genre of entertainment that employs a humorous form to fulfill a satirical function. The objective of the study is twofold. First, it introduces an innovative theoretical conception of satire according to which it is treated as a function of language rather than a literary genre; thus corresponding to the functions of language labeled as illocutionary acts. By incorporating some modifications to the current version of speech act theory, the researcher arrives at the assumption that satire is an indirect complex illocutionary act. Second, the study proposes an eclectic model of linguistic deviation to explore how the complex illocutionary act of satire is realized locutionarily by means of linguistic deviation. It detects how stand-up comedians manipulate language in such a way as to generate humour which, in its turn, serves the satirical intention of the comedian. Correlation between this humorous form and satirical function is the basis of this paper. By investigating the ways in which Egyptian stand-up comedians evoke humour and laughter to fulfill their satirical intentions, this paper unveils the dominant strategies of linguistic deviation manipulated by Egyptian sand- up comedians, and examines the implications of these strategies