British humor. How do the British joke? Subtle humor

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The British are known for their politeness, stiffness, equanimity and subtle humour. Their jokes are most often called specific, because most foreigners do not understand them and do not find them funny. But the British are sure that they are the most witty, and British humor is the funniest in the world.

Distinguishing Features

Most of the English jokes seem boring and incomprehensible to foreigners. This is due to the fact that almost all jokes describe absurd situations. Also, British humor is difficult to perceive for those who have not mastered the English language perfectly, and translation may not always convey the meaning of the joke.

In addition to the fact that the situations described are absurd, they should be told with equanimity, they say, everything is as it should be. This is what confuses foreigners - after all, it is difficult to understand from the face of an Englishman whether he is joking or not. British humor pays attention to detail, which is its hallmark. But the main thing is that all jokes should be said with a calm, unflappable face.

Why is British humor considered "subtle"? Because at the heart of most jokesthere is a play on words, and they are built on puns, so to understand the meaning of their jokes, you must be fluent in English.

British humor is the ability to laugh not only at others, but also at oneself. In general, the British believe that a person who knows how to laugh at himself is mentally he althy. In addition, the British are happy to joke around with others. To some extent, they test your strength, so the ideal option is if you can support the joke of the interlocutor.

To foreigners, English humor seems dark, dry and sarcastic, but British jokes have become one of the most famous components of British culture.

Varieties of jokes

The British joke about everything: people, weather, politics, the royal family - the main thing is that it should be funny. The so-called black humor is also appreciated by the British, but mainly by intellectuals. To some, black English humor may even seem rude.

1. "Elephant" jokes are absurd and ridiculous stories.
2. Sarcasm and irony - humor bordering on cynicism is considered aerobatics.
3. "American" jokes" are primitive jokes that the British also call "slip on a banana peel".
4. Illogical stories.
5. "Play on words" is one of the favorite entertainments of the British, which is available only to those who know English well.

By the way, some people think that phraseological units, sayings and jokes are a great way tolearn the language. In addition, they help to better understand the culture of another people. Because of the British love for various puns, some consider their humor too intellectual.

Self-irony is the basis of everything

The British love to joke not only about others - they like it, and they know how to laugh at themselves. They can joke about the character, appearance and, of course, national characteristics. They like to joke about their traditions more than representatives of other nationalities. Therefore, if you want to get the respect of an Englishman, then learn to be ironic with yourself. After all, for them, a person who can laugh at himself is mentally he althy.

By the way, despite the fact that they like self-irony, they expect the same from others. And they like to joke about other people as much as about themselves. Therefore, such jokes should be responded with a smile and a joke in response. This is one of the spectacular ways to make friends with an Englishman.

Features of black humor

The English are very fond of black humor, but sometimes such jokes look like rudeness. It is believed that he appeared in the XIII century, when King Edward subjugated Wales. In 1284, the king promised the Welsh that they would not be ruled by a man who could speak English. And at the head of Wales, King Edward put his newborn son, who could not yet speak.

To understand the British sense of humor, you need not only to be fluent in English, but also to be familiar withBritish culture. Be sure to pay attention to compound words that consist of two bases. Here is an example of English humor:

- Why do people wear shamrocks on St. Patrick's Day?

- Because regular stones are very heavy.

Many people will not find this joke funny. The word for shamrock in English is shamroks and it includes the word roks which means "stone". This is exactly what the joke is about.

Humor in books

There was an opinion that the British did not publicly demonstrate their sense of humor, it was not customary for them to laugh out loud. Instead, they showed others an ironic smile, but in the works of English writers you can find bright characters flaunting British humor.

But modern Brits are not averse to demonstrating their sense of humor in book titles. For foreigners they may be absurd and rude, but for the English they will be ridiculous. There may be some dark humor in the titles.

Comic shows

You can watch how the British joke on popular TV comedy shows in the UK.

1. "Monty Python" is one of the most popular shows. The members of the group became famous for their specific sense of humor. "Monty Python's Flying Circus" is a wonderful combination of surreal jokes, sarcasm and dark humor.
2. "Mr. Bean" is one of the most famoushumorous characters in the world. The role of the funny Mr. Bean is played by the inimitable Rowan Atkinson. This series tells about how an adult man gets into various ridiculous situations. Mr. Bean barely speaks, and the series is built around the emotional reactions of the characters.
3. "Fools are lucky" - this humor can be classified as everyday. It tells about a grandfather and his two grandchildren, who strive to get rich by any means. The series has received numerous awards.

English humor compares favorably with American humor in that there are no swear words. Although, of course, it is not so refined, it still remains mysterious and incomprehensible to most foreigners.

Nuances in communicating with the British

It seems that it is not easy to communicate with the British, especially if they are joking. But if you follow some nuances when communicating, you can easily communicate with residents of the UK.

1. The British are very proud of their sense of humor. Therefore, it is not worth arguing that other nations know how to joke just as well.
2. The British try to understate everything - this should be taken into account when composing jokes.
3. You need to learn self-irony - then you will earn respect from the British.
4. If people start arguing with you in a casual atmosphere, don't take it too seriously. This is how they test your strength.

The British are trying to follow the principle of "be simpler". Therefore, there is no need to try to complicate anything, butlearn more about the language and British culture to better understand them.

How to respond to English jokes?

Communication between friends in England is a frivolous argument and an exchange of witty phrases. The interlocutor picks up the thought of the other and continues his joke. Therefore, in order to easily and naturally maintain communication, you need to live a very long time in England. But there are some tips to help you respond to the British sense of humour.

1. If you are approached on the street and asked about the weather, be sure to keep up the conversation on this topic. Even if it's raining outside, and your interlocutor says that the weather is fine, agree with him and say that you hope that tomorrow it will be better.
2. Don't take a conversation in a pub too seriously - it's best to joke back.
3. When talking to the British, be careful with affirmative remarks, because they are often used as irony.
4. Be careful when using sarcasm.
5. It is not customary for the British to smile if a person speaks with sarcasm. To convey it, use intonation, gestures, words.

Of course, to easily find a common language with the British, you need to understand their culture and mentality. And before you start practicing wit, be sure to learn some English. Most jokes in British humor are based on wordplay and puns.