British sense of humour

[Beebo]

For me a key part of the British sense of humour is its quirkyness, often taking risks that it could go wrong.
Vic and Bob for instance. Totally unique. Some of it I just doesn’t work, but when it does work it’s electric.

 

[presta]

I am reminded of the following (old) story:

"The German air controllers at Frankfurt Airport are renowned as a short-tempered lot. They not only expect one to know one's gate parking location, but how to get there without any assistance from them. So it was with some amusement that we (a Pan Am 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground control and a British Airways 747, call sign "Speedbird 206".

Speedbird 206: "Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of active runway."
Ground: "Speedbird 206. Taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven."
The BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop.
Ground: "Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?"
Speedbird 206: "Stand by, Ground, I'm looking up our gate location now."
Ground (with arrogant impatience): "Speedbird 206, haff you not been to Frankfurt before?"
Speedbird 206 (coolly): "Yes, twice in 1944 but it was dark and I didn't land"

At a slide show and lecture, Mountaineer Doug Scott told the tale of one expedition he was on when they spent several days holed up in the tents waiting out a storm with nothing to do but listen to the radio. The world cup was on, and when the Germans beat England one of the Germans in the tent said: "Ach so, we Germans beat you English at your national game, huh?"
"Yes, and we've beaten you at yours, twice" came the reply.

 

[presta]

Like the old Coventry City Police copper in the 60's, who when asked by German tourists for directions to the cathedral responded, "you found it well enough in the dark in 1940."

When you start a major war and go on to lose one does open oneself up to a degree of pith taking.

When I was staying at Ystradfellte hostel once, there was a young German couple there. They were chatting about where they'd been:
"Bath was lovely, but we didn't like Bristol so much, as there was too much modern concrete".
I resisted the temptation to explain why.

 

[Drago]

For me a key part of the British sense of humour is its quirkyness, often taking risks that it could go wrong.
Vic and Bob for instance. Totally unique. Some of it I just doesn’t work, but when it does work it’s electric.

Ah, Victor Meldrew and Bob Holness. Can't beat 'em

 

[presta]

I keep waiting for someone to feed me the lines for this one:
Dr: "What did you do that for?"
Me: "Because the doctor told me to"
Dr: "Which doctor?"
Me: "Probably"

 

[Arrowfoot]

For taking the piss, the Aussies are World class, all good natured. Be careful what you wear when entering a Aussie pub that is not crowded. Former Australian PM, Paul Keating in Parliament is untouchable. The word "acerbic" "withering" would be apt and totally hilarious. Trade Unionist by vocation, did not go to University but crafted it's economy when it fell over and it stands tall today because of him.

Americans are sensitive and I suspect that they find it hard to comprehend satire, humour or piss taking because they can't interpret use of language. But ironically the best satire work of art comes from them and the French. We must have focused on our dry wit.

British sense of humour is a spectrum. Can be cruel to kind to submarine depth subtle. Some are truly work of art.

 

[stephec]

When I was staying at Ystradfellte hostel once, there was a young German couple there. They were chatting about where they'd been:
"Bath was lovely, but we didn't like Bristol so much, as there was too much modern concrete".
I resisted the temptation to explain why.

I suppose, 'a bit like Dresden then?' might have been a step too far in that case.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

There have been a few programmes explaining the changes that have to be made when transferring British sit-coms to the US market. One that comes to mind was a comment about Men Behaving Badly, which took a big shuffle from the original, as they had to write out a lot of the 'personal abuse' as they felt they US market wasn't comfortable with having imperfections pointed out.

 

[winjim]

Does the British sense of humour involve banging on incessantly about the war then? That seems to be the theme.

 

[tribanjules]

Don’t mention the war !
Well you started it ….

Faulty towers 🤣🤣

 

[Oldhippy]

No we didn't, you invaded Poland!

 

[tribanjules]

No we didn't, you invaded Poland!

Cue lots of puzzled yanks !

 

[Ming the Merciless]

 

[purpan]

At a slide show and lecture, Mountaineer Doug Scott told the tale of one expedition he was on when they spent several days holed up in the tents waiting out a storm with nothing to do but listen to the radio. The world cup was on, and when the Germans beat England one of the Germans in the tent said: "Ach so, we Germans beat you English at your national game, huh?"
"Yes, and we've beaten you at yours, twice" came the reply.

Don Whillans’ comment, I think?

 

[Ming the Merciless]