One of the things that I like about this site is wry humour, irony, “leg-pulling” etc. interspersed amongst the discussion comments. To some extent, it reflects what happens at a real session.
Unlike a real session though, this virtual session is international. Well perhaps not truly international, as most of the input comes from members from countries where English is widely spoken: e.g. Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc.
Although English is the common language of these contributors, there seem to be some national differences when it comes to the “sense of humour”.
Here is an example, from a recent discussion about beermats in pubs. There was some initial confusion, as it appears that this word is not used in America, and someone had to clarify that beermats=coasters. In a subsequent comment (just teasing) I asked:
Q. Why coaster? Don't you Americans ever get them in inland pubs?
Someone took me literally, and replied:
“We still refer to the things which we place under our drinks as "coasters" no matter how far inland we live or go to sessions”.
So what are these national differences in humour/humor? Your thoughts please, sessionites! (If responding, please state your country).
I'm half Welsh/half Scottish and I live in Flanders.I have to tone down my sense of humour here because the Flemish,just like the Americans,take things literally.They have no idea what British leg pulling is.A German once asked me to explain the British sense of humour to him.I told him about the Les Dawson sketch where Les was a street sweeper.He swept up a big pile of rubbish,his cart was full so he looked around,no-one was looking so he lifted up the pavement and swept it under it,like a maid sweeping the dust under a carpet.He looked at me and said "In Germany you cannot lift up the pavements"
I know what your saying. Most of the time my sarcastic sense of humour is lost on this site. But I put that down to the fact that people cant see me sniggering. I am often taken seriously when in reality I'm unsucessfully trying to be a smart ass.
I think your'e right, RichardB, though I can't remember which discussion it was. Anyone know?
However this particular discussion is intended to be about national differences in humour, rather than misunderstandings about words in American / "British" English - albeit another interesting topic!
Its interesting though, that people from neighbouring villages dont imediately understand the sense of humour in my village. Basically its a very abusive type of humour here, slating insults which are meant in the nicest possible way.
Enjoyed your anecdote, dafydd! Reminds me of the time when he had a German student staying out our house for a month. During his stay, we took him on a mountain walking holiday to North Wales, which he enjoyed immensly. At the summit of Crib Goch, we spent a while chatting to some other people who were there. Afterwards, he said that that it was amazing that we had accidentally met up with some friends such a remote place. When I told him that we'd never met them before, he couldn't believe it. The concept of striking up a conversation with complete strangers was totally alien to him!
The different uses of "fag" are a recurrent source of transatlantic misunderstanding. In British public schools (that is, independent fee-paying boarding schools...), a fag was a junior boy who had to skivvy for senior boys and / or on communal chores. Hence, British diplomats, etc., might well find themselves saying to surprised Americans, "Yes, I know him, he was my fag at Eton!..."
It was not unknown for fags in public schools to be, or (more often) to be put under unwanted pressure to be, fags in the transatlantic sense.
In Britain you can be really insulting to someone and they won't take offence if it's witty.Many languages have no translation for the word wit.Leg pulling has no Flemish equivalent.The nearest word they have is 'plagen' which means 'plagueing' or 'tormenting' Bill Bryson said that wit and leg pulling are the oils that keep the wheels of British society turning. He was at Oxford station once and they guy in the queue in front of him asked for a ticket to London.When asked the price the ticket seller said 'it's free,but there's a 10 pound service charge' The guy laughed and paid. Bryson said if the man who'd bought the ticket had been an American he would have said something like 'What kind of a cockamamie operation are you running here! I demand to see the manager!' Bill Bryson is an American writer who has lived in Britain for many years and understands our sense of humour.
Language changes are funny. I was thinking back to the late fifties where someone lights up a fag and, being of a generous disposition, asks if anyone would like a puff! This would probably cause a few raised eyebrows in the current noughties so I think humour is a "time" thing as well.
Dafydd - Your Bryson story reminds me of the time when I was queuing to get a newspaper at a newsagents at Piccadily undergound station, London. The person in front of me in the queue (an American) asked the newsagent for an "A to Zee" of London. The newsagent said that he didn't have an "A to Zee" - only an "A to Zed". (The American didn't appear to understand, and said that he would try somewhere else!).
A Derby man has a poorly cat. He goes to the vet ,"my cats poorly", the vet asks, "Is it a Tom". "No, I've brung him with me."
A Yorkshire dales shepherd has a champion sheepdog, won many a trial in it's prime, so the shepherd decides to have a figureen made cast in gold. The goldsmith asks, "do you want it eighteen carat" ?. Nay lad, we'll have him chewin-t-bone".
guy goes into the doctor's office with a carrot in his ear (to some, that;s funny already). "Doc" he says,"I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I'm tired, listless- generally run-down" The doctor looks him over and says"It's obvious. You're not eating right."
I've been in trouble with Merkins on forums for innocently using such terms as "backwoodsmen" and "hillbillies" in what I thought had been a light-hearted fashion.
i've already told this one but as it concerns beermats: here in USA alot of people thought beermats advertising the Guinness Hurling Contest were hilarious. No one in Ireland thought it was funny. To the Irish, hurling is the national sport. To an American, it is a slang word for vomiting!
Sarcasm/irony is widely used here in Denmark, and even though it's not more explicit or below the waist, it has a different character than British or Irish leg pulling. So in my eyes there is no universal code of leg pulling. I've met a lot of frowned eyes in Ireland or wherever on that account
dafydd -- for great French rock look no further than Jacques Dutronc! And the only thing we merkins would like less than being knocked up in the morning, would be if it were accompanied with a bit of spotted dick!
The whole idea of a national sense of humo(u)r is of course compounded by individual sensibilities. I know plenty of really dry, ironic people, and many people who's idea of sophisticated wit is a stale pun.
I think the differences from country to country comes from the use of words and having no knowledge of the meaning. I had to Goggle "Dodgy coupons" because I hadn't a clue as to its meaning or usage.
I knew the meaning of "fag" from Frank McCourt's book because his mother had to have a "Woodbine" fag. She wasn't turning tricks for "The excitement" or bisexual, she needed a smoke.
It part of the fun of reading the Discussions. It is way of gaining knowledge of sessionites from other parts of the world.
Breno - maybe yes, if he was from a west coast or a southern state. But not if he was from the eastern seaboard - those folks seem to take everything very seriously!
Not that it matters either way - I nearly fell off my chair laughing when I read it!
"most of the input comes from members from countries where English is widely spoken: e.g. Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc."
Too right! English is so widely spoken in some of those places ya can't even understand it! Just as well people here can write eh.
...and I'm always impressed with the politeness of the phrase "smart ass". Sounds like a cute donkey or something.
Smart *a r s e* sounds a lot more effective...puts a bit of boot into it or something!
Now, there's no smoking allowed here either - so you can get that fag out of your mouth right now. And don't be flickin' yer fag butts on the floor either!
Here's an example of dry Australian wit. The conversation took place years ago between me and my boyfriend's farmer father:
Father: Yes, we used to have a goanna farm [a goanna is a large lizard which likes to climb trees].
Me: A goanna farm!
F: Yeah, but it got too expensive.
M: Why was it expensive?
F: In the end we just couldn't afford the sardines.
M: Goannas don't eat sardines!
F: Of course they don't. We just needed the tins.
M: Why would you need sardine tins on a goanna farm?
F: Well, you know goannas will climb anything, so you can't build fences high enough to keep them in. So the only way to stop them climbing out is to strap sardine tins to their feet.....
At this stage, poor trusting young innocent that I was, even I realised my leg was being pulled......
This humour is very typical of country people - they will go on with stories like this for hours.
That was told by Peter Ustinov on a show recorded in Vancouver about 30 years ago, "Mix". A great show if you can get a copy of it. Peter Ustinov had many several stories about this topic, which he recounted at that concert. A very funny man.
I remember sitting in a training course once in Sydney, Australia, where people from all parts of the State were there including from the outback areas.
There was a guy in the class whose surname was “Aurelius”. Not a very common name in some parts you might think. Everyone seated themselves, the course convenor got out the front for a roll call. First name on the alphabetical list – Aurelius!
“Aurelius here?” called out the convenor in a stern voice.
“Year, mate, we’re all ‘ere, Get on with it will ya” came the dry Aussie outback drawl from the back of the room.
Get it? Get it? It’s a real knee-slapper ain’t it?!
I used to work in a big city Court House registry office years ago. Lots of p*ssed-off people used to call the office.
My real gregarious outback Aussie work colleague at the next desk used to make a great impression answering the telephone: "GEDDAY! COURD 'OUSE 'ERE! 'OW YA GOIN'?"
I have a friend from West Virginia who is part of our Friday afternoon sessions in Florida. He was riding my house on his bicycle one evening and hollered out "Cheatyet?".
Humour in the English language often revolves, I think, around the sound of the regional use of the language, or use of homonyms (that’s nothing to do with fags either, in case you’re wondering) especially when their substitution leads to a heightened sense of irony. National Example? I dunno, such as in the tv program “Fawlty Towers”. Maybe that’s why the humour input here seems to come mainly from the first-language-English places.
Anyway, that’s my lucid thought for the day.
BTW, someone mentioned the German sense of humour. What is it?
(That is not meant to be a joke.)
People in the US sometimes have a hard time understanding slagging. It can often seem so over the top and personal, that sometimes we take it... uh... personally.
My nature has always been to tease people I'm close to, and so it's not a great leap to get used to slagging. And playing Irish music has definitely increased the severity of my slagging of my friends, even those who don't have anything to do with the music.
But a lot of people don't get it.
I have heard a quote attributed to Kevin Burke (don't know the truth of it), saying that when he first moved to the US, it took him a couple of years to realize that when someone was complimenting him directly, they actually *meant* it, and weren't just takin the p*ss.
That's another thing... How is it, exactly, that the phrases "taking the p*ss" and "giving someone sh*t" can mean the same thing?
That's not to say that people in the US don't have a good sense of humor. Just look at the likes of SWFL Fiddler, who has used his sense of humor to diffuse some tense moments on this site. I find myself laughing out lout at half the stuff he says. He has a happy-go-lucky, quirky way of turning around something that someone says to point out the obvious ridiculousness of an argument. But it's never personal, and it's never impolite at the same time. So I wouldn't be surprised if people across the pond sometimes find his sense of humor to be somewhat strange, because it seems like much of the humor in the UK and Ireland makes its living off of being impolite... And God forbid someone actually compliment your playing in a session in Ireland! That's a good sign that it's time to pack up and leave!
In Australia, Reverend, you can also give people "heaps of sh*t"!
The psychology of slagging is a fascinating cultural study. Why is it so?
I've heard it said that when people are really slagging you (that'd be good slagging, not bad slagging) in Ireland, they really like you. It is like a complement. (At least that's what he told me!) But yeah, slagging definitely seems to have national boundaries.
A lot of British-ims survive in Canada to this day. Canadian humour too is quite unlike the U.S....it's closer to Brit and irish humour...bit sly, double entendre stuff. Weirdly though many Canadian comedians made it quite big in the U.S. Americans seem to dig our quirky take on things which is, perhaps, less slapstick? I know these are generaities but there is some truth to the matter.
One Amerian comic whose humour I think perhaps approximated a lot of Canadian material was Seinfeld.
Mike Myers grew up here in Scarborough [asutin powers...where he plays on the English fop/groover charachter] Eugene Levy [american pie, best in show], Dan Akryoyd, Rick Moranis [ghostbusters] Michael J. Fox, Catherine O'Hara, Jim Carrey, Martin Short, John Candy [uncle buck], Joe Flaherty were/are Canadian -- many were part of Second City comedy troupe and Saturday Night Live... oh right Lorne Michaels is Canadian too.
so we have a weird sense of humour. Just check out Kids in the Hall sketches on YouTube if they're to be found there. My favourite is "Cherry St. Cop"..but you might have to live in T.O. to truly get it.
I suppose Mike Myers captured our English heritage best with his foppish Brit groover from the 60s.
Truth is, Canadians are still fascianted by Brits and all things across the pond eastwards. And a lot of British words survive here....chesterfield for eg. not used a lot. mostly we use sofa, but people would know what you're talking about....or "cupboards" instead of shelves. No one uses "boot" for trunk, or "wellies" for rubber boots. But we do use "rubber' for eraser... and for other things too.
Your bang on Duijera. If you find yourself getting a real good slagging in Ireland its definitely a good thing. I had a friend from Greece stay with me for a few weeks a couple of years ago.
He became affectionately known as 'the foreign eejit' and the 'Greek geek'.
Could be that America is a much bigger mixture of cultures. Slagging might be too ambiguous. Could be that the violent past isn't so far behind us, as a country. It wasn't so very long ago in these parts, that men went about with fire arms. Pistols were drawn frequently, but seldom fired; armed men needed to treat each other with exagerated courtesy. Some of that style lingers to this day.
"Bang On"!, ss, and I just love that as the name of that band. Feckin' great craic!
I dunno, I wonder whether slagging isn't more prevalent in English speaking countries which seem to have a hereditary class system.
Quigs is a bit bang on too (sorry about the gun analogy), but I think America, although English-speaking, has a huge European cultural influence, and I'm not sure that slagging goes over big there. Does it?
Yeah, I can't shake being nice. Sorry. I have little kids. The whole clever mean thing takes a back seat to literalism with them.
Not to say I can't take the wiz and sling the doo-doo with the best of them, let's be clear here.
Oh, case in point. I think there was some troll-like thread recently which devolved into an analytical discussion of "Your Momma" jokes, which of course went clear over the heads of every non-American on here. Some Irish folks got their knickers all in a bundle over them.
“We love our mothers over here!”
OK, calm down now. Think of how you treat your friends.
Now, being an Irish American born in Philadelphia, I am well versed in "playing the dozens" as we called it back then.
"The Dozens?!?" you say?
Yes, because usually around the 12th "Your Momma" joke in a row, someone usually swings at someone else.
So, there you have it. In Ireland you can call your best friend a bog-trotting, sheep-romancing, moronic son of a goat with breath like the smokestack on the Titanic and everyone has a good chuckle, but say one "Your Momma" joke and it's all over, apparently.
DD
no, i wouldn't say slagging is the norm and would be frowned upon UNLESS you know the person well. Slagging a newbie at a session or in a social setting would be considered bad manners and aggressive. We like to be NICE here in Canada and the U.S. However, among mates it's a different matter...at least in Canada. Dunno about "America"
Didge - earlier in this discussion, you mentioned the British TV programme "Fawlty Towers". Presumably it was shown in Aus.
Another British TV comedy programme called "Are You Being Served" was transmitted in the USA, and apparently was very popular there. Along with the programme, they had a helpline, so that US viewers could phone in and have the terminology and jokes explained to them!
Yeah, Fawlty Towers got a good run and repeats. Very popular. Same with Yes Minister (how true is that!) and The Bill...British TV stuff is very popular here. Even feckin' Blackadder - geez I could never cop that one!
mtodd - Canadians are nice, yes. I met some real nice Canadians over there once...in Montreal! Didn't get much further than that!
The Germans can have a wicked, sardonic sense of humour - I can't think of examples at the moment, but I know this is so. It may have to do with their having gone through periods of history more grotesque than anything you could make up.
In Britain, the instant-wordplay / repartee kind of humour is generally found amusing but most of us are too dense to do it: comics who can do it ad lib, maybe to hecklers, are regarded like magicians, with a degree of awe.
Quigs - I think you may have a point about the firearms encouraging super-politeness. A year or two ago, I had a need on several occasions to call a helpline in Texas.
Lots of : Yes sir, and: "I'll do that for you sir!" and "Thanks for calling sir!" etc.
You don't get courtesy at that level when calling a helpline in the UK.
.. on the other hand, when I had occasion to call a helpline in New York, I felt that I was talking to a robot.
Regarding this board, it's probably just as well that guns don't work over the internet!
Yes, I know Australians are polite. And while I'm at it: you grow good citrus fruit too. Um... the paychecks for your firefighters will be a bit late. We're borrowing Fed. money to pay your people, and the New Zealanders, and the Spanish, and the Greeks......
As for sledging, was it an Aussie, who said to Bothham as he approached the middle,"Beefy, how come your so fat"?.
"Cos every time I shag your wife she gives me a biscuit".
I take a bit of care when framing 'humour' on this site. It makes it all very interesting. You can say something to the Brits that they would find funny (or not!), which you know would have the opposite affect for the Americans (...and maybe Canadians...maybe, maybe!)
But what the hell the non-first-language-English readers make of it all, I don't know.
A surgeon, an architect and an economist were discussing the account of the Creation in Genesis, and inevitably found themselves arguing about the primacy of their callings in the light of what they'd read.
"God was a surgeon!", said the surgeon: "He operated on Adam, removed a rib and made Eve!"
"He was an architect!", said the architect: "He made the universe out of chaos in six days".
"Well then", said the economist, "Who created the chaos?!.."
One of the best ones I ever heard was an Irishman describing someone with tousled hair. "And the hair on him like a madwoman's fanny" Fanny in the British,not American sense of the word.
The greeting "Did you eat yet?" was used here when I was a kid. It was not common, exactly. It wasn't given any regional inflection; nor was it spoken all run together. Where did it come from?
I believe there´s a Chinese greeting which, when translated, comes out something like "Have you had your rice yet ?"
Maybe the Chinese brought it with them to California.
On "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue", which probably needs extensive footnotes in the US, the phrase "You'll have had your tea" in a Scottish accent always provokes gales of laughter.
Thanks murfbox, but there were unsurmountable barriers preventing that kind of cross-cultural exchange happening here. It was a long time before we discovered Chinese expressions, let alone Chinese food.
It's Ironic in the extreme, that all the mountains of bacon and boiled beans consumed breakfast-dinner-supper by the miners, loggers, ranchers, and such, were dished up by kitchens of chinese.
So, Mix O'Lydian, to return to your question, you weren't suggesting that John Masefield was complaining about the table setting when he wrote
"Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smokestack"?
Germans do have a sense of humour. I learnt this joke when I lived in Germany:
Q: What are the three smallest books in the world?
A: The Great Book of Italian Heroes, The Secrets of English Cooking, and One Thousand Years of German Humour.
You gotta love 'em!
A good visual gag will cross national boundaries. I've spent a lot of time travelling across China on regional airlines and found that slapstick on the inflight movie would always get the cabin rocking with laughter. Mr Bean was a perennial favourite.
I grew up in northern North Dakota, and we got Canadian television programs. So, I was lucky to have a steady diet of Monty Python and Are You being Served? We now get those programs, along with Keeping Up Appearances, etc on PBS stations. I used to watch AbFab, but it's not been picked up on many stations here. Occasionally, I can get it on one of those "women's" channels, like Oxygen.
Oh yeah, Red Green, Canadian, eh?
At work last week we were crushing heads...
I'm not the only one, SWFL. It's "knickers in a twist" according to Guernsey Pete. That rhymes as well doesn't it.
Look at what your missing out on! - rhyming slangy things are really funny to a lot of people. Don't you think?
Ok...I guess not.
Tell me a joke.
Local PBS airs a lot of BBC humor and drama. They also put out a disturbingly large amount of stuff about the monarchy. Is this for the English expat market?
> It's said that the UK spends a lot of dough to maintain a favorable image here in the US.
By whom? Any idea why we'd need to do that?
It's said that you can still suck on fags in bars in the US.
One guess would be the monachists. The UK tourist industry would be another. A fovorable image in the US would mean dividends of dollars, for whomever runs the show. Smokers have to go outside to light up, at least in California; sorry.
Hey oldstrings, that was a bit of a "cheap tin tray" joke!
Anyway, even if Masfield was referring to table settings when he wrote: "Dirty British coaster, with a salt-caked smoke stack", that was back in the "mad March days".
Is anyone from Scotland following this discussion? If so, does the Scottish sense of humour differ in any respects from the English sense of humour? I suspect that it does.
I find that my American friends do "get" slagging -- it is just a different sort of slagging. Someone already mentioned the fact the "Your Momma" jokes are very American and we used to throw these around endlessly. I don't use them in the UK because no one gets them. On the other hand, in the UK it is socially acceptable to call your good mates, "You c*nts" in an affectionate, slagging way, whereas you would never ever ever do that in the US.
It is hard to quantify differences, but I suppose something like Blackadder or Peep Show (which are awesome) wouldn't get as popular in the US as they did in the UK. There is a level of absurdity you find in British humour that isn't as prevalent in the US. There's also a willingness to offend people and poke fun at race, age, sex, disability, gender, etc. that you don't find as much in the US. Part of the reason for that is you can't be over the top in any kind of public forum. There are many American comedians who will happily engage in that sort of thing, but they have to be careful of their venue. Lots of easily offended groups have lobbyists who will threaten any entertainment organization with legal action if they are upset. I remember a few years ago there was a comedy show aired in the US about a fella who was hanging out with Jesus. Jesus was portrayed as a regular dude and it was a very funny show. Sadly the religious right organizations went apesh*t over it and the network pulled the show.
The trouble is when you use TV shows as examples (like I just did), you run into the problem of censorship in America (the land of free speech and all that). Standard operating procedure censureship isn't so blatant as my above example but has significant effects on the content of the TV. After about 9 or 10pm anything goes on the tele in the UK -- swearing, sex, nudity. In the US swear words are bleeped out at any hour and you will never see full frontal nudity unless you have cable.
The Glencoe vistor centre appointed a new manager, but the staff (all locals) were mortified when then discovered that his surname was "Campbell".
Throughout his first week relations were very strained, so in an attempt to break the ice, the manager decided to take his staff out on Saturday for a pub crawl in Glasgow.
All went well until they were leaving the last pub, when he remarked: "After all that drrrink, I could murder a McDonalds!"
I'm wondering who's kidding who when Americans are referred to, or refer to themselves, as 'merkins'. But I suspect not everyone knows the meaning of the word.
It was our other emperor from Texas, Lyndon Johnson, who started all this `merkin' business. Every time he addressed the nation, he would begin with" Mah fellow 'merkins...." Yes some of us Know the other meaning.
I love Peter Bowler's 'Superior Person's Book of Words' where he suggests that on finding a young woman of your acquaintance in a reverie you say 'A merkin for your quim?', being suggestive of an archaic verion of 'A penny for your thoughts?'
Never exactly thought of Australian English as being the language of dalliance. They'd as likely throw in "mad woman's fanny" references. American English isn't any more smooth in that regard..
Good one, SWFL. Ok, I take your point. Rhyming bizzo must be more the Brit humour. Don't make up any more, your might end up alienating yourself in your neighbourhood!
It's very interesting talking with Americans - it's like an interactive movie or something!
(Mix, I do know that ass as in smart-ass has nothing to do with donkeys. I was just being a smart-arse, I guess. But thanks anyway. Sheesh!)
"Never exactly thought of Australian English as being the language of dalliance."
Depends who you're talking to, quigs.
Aussie women like a bit of language dalliance as much as anyone else. Maybe more, even!
...and if you can sound like Crocodile Dundee and use the Peter Bowles type dalliance, you'd be in like Flynn.
(Flynn was Australian too, you did know that didn't you?)
Could be that America has too big a mixture of cultures. Verbal dalliance can be ambiguous. Then there's all that vestigial tension from our violent past....
CARTOON Yes I know who the Sydney Ducks were. There's no evidence of anyone in that mob's being a good romancer. How does this reference further your argument? San francisco took a dim view of visitors from Sydney for a long time afterward; until Harry Bridges came over to lead the ILWU. There was a good man. (Don't know about his qualifications as a Romeo)
Spaypainted in huge letters on a bridge in Sydney a week before the big trans Tasman Rugby international "NEW ZEALAND SUX"
Replied to a week later underneath "AUSTRALIA NIL"
Ah yes, it's us Germans getting the stick again
I don't blame you. The Les Barker tale is hilarious. (And so is Les Barker live.)
I thoroughly enjoy the English kind of humour as it is described by Bill Bryson.
I particularly liked the way people in Yorkshire give you a nickname as soon as you get there. Often it 's the opposite of what they mean, like calling a tall man Shorty.
I wonder if that's done anywhere else.
Reckon that it must be the environment in Germany that surpresses the sense of humour. Take a German out of that environment - say to the UK - and he will quickly get the idea. In fact, so much so that they'll laugh at a joke that would make the rest of us groan. An old chestnut to us is a brand new joke to them!
"Three Lords Went A-Hunting", old ballad, ended up as "They went along a bit further", a Geordie ( NE England ) song.
Englishman defines what they've seen, Scotsman denies it, Geordie puts a funny slant on it.
Much corrupted as all ethnic jokes go.
Frenchman insists that after making love to his girlfriend she levitates 30 centimetres above the bed.
Italian insists that after making love to his girlfriend she levitates 60 centimetres above the bed.
Australian says "After poking my Sheila I wipe my d1ck on the drapes and she hits the ceiling !".
Mix O'Lydian, I am the guilty party who contributed the comment about referring to "beer mats" as "coasters" no matter how far inland we lived or went to play music. I was trying to make a joke and apparently my sense of humor was too subtle and understated.
For the record, I live in the United States.
I am vaguely familiar with some British slang words.
For example, approximately twenty-five years ago, I remember reading a story about a musician who came here from somewhere in Great Britain (London, if I remember correctly). He had no problems when he went through customs or with his passport. Then, after he checks into his hotel in New York City, since he doesn't have any cigarettes, he goes to the hotel store and asks (very innocently), "Do you have any fags here?"
In 1993, I was at a party where one of the guests was a woman from Bulgaria who hadn't been living in the United States very long. When the hostess asked the Bulgarian woman "Would care for some iced tea?", the Bulgarian woman responded with a blank and confused look until it was explained to her that the hostess was offering her some iced tea to drink.
I watched most of the episodes of "Are You Being Served?" and didn't have trouble understanding any of the humor.
If you really want to talk to a robot, just go to Washington, D.C. There is a big white house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Just knock on the door and ask to speak to the robot-in-charge (I would say the same thing if John Kerry had won the election in 2004).
National Differences in Humour
National Differences in Humour
One of the things that I like about this site is wry humour, irony, “leg-pulling” etc. interspersed amongst the discussion comments. To some extent, it reflects what happens at a real session.
Unlike a real session though, this virtual session is international. Well perhaps not truly international, as most of the input comes from members from countries where English is widely spoken: e.g. Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc.
Although English is the common language of these contributors, there seem to be some national differences when it comes to the “sense of humour”.
Here is an example, from a recent discussion about beermats in pubs. There was some initial confusion, as it appears that this word is not used in America, and someone had to clarify that beermats=coasters. In a subsequent comment (just teasing) I asked:
Q. Why coaster? Don't you Americans ever get them in inland pubs?
Someone took me literally, and replied:
“We still refer to the things which we place under our drinks as "coasters" no matter how far inland we live or go to sessions”.
So what are these national differences in humour/humor? Your thoughts please, sessionites! (If responding, please state your country).
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Didn't someone from across the pond a little while ago misunderstand the UK expression "going outside for a fag"?
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by RichardB
Re: National Differences in Humour
I'm half Welsh/half Scottish and I live in Flanders.I have to tone down my sense of humour here because the Flemish,just like the Americans,take things literally.They have no idea what British leg pulling is.A German once asked me to explain the British sense of humour to him.I told him about the Les Dawson sketch where Les was a street sweeper.He swept up a big pile of rubbish,his cart was full so he looked around,no-one was looking so he lifted up the pavement and swept it under it,like a maid sweeping the dust under a carpet.He looked at me and said "In Germany you cannot lift up the pavements"
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by dafydd
Re: National Differences in Humour
I know what your saying. Most of the time my sarcastic sense of humour is lost on this site. But I put that down to the fact that people cant see me sniggering. I am often taken seriously when in reality I'm unsucessfully trying to be a smart ass.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by session savage
Re: National Differences in Humour
I think your'e right, RichardB, though I can't remember which discussion it was. Anyone know?
However this particular discussion is intended to be about national differences in humour, rather than misunderstandings about words in American / "British" English - albeit another interesting topic!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
thats class dafydd. But maybe the german was joking and you took HIM seriously.... hmmm the mind boggles.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by session savage
Re: National Differences in Humour
No,I knew him well and he was deadly serious.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by dafydd
Re: National Differences in Humour
Did you laugh into his face? I would have wet myself.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by session savage
Re: National Differences in Humour
Two things in this world are difficult to detect.A German sense of humour and a good French rock and roll song.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by dafydd
Re: National Differences in Humour
Its interesting though, that people from neighbouring villages dont imediately understand the sense of humour in my village. Basically its a very abusive type of humour here, slating insults which are meant in the nicest possible way.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by session savage
Re: National Differences in Humour
Enjoyed your anecdote, dafydd! Reminds me of the time when he had a German student staying out our house for a month. During his stay, we took him on a mountain walking holiday to North Wales, which he enjoyed immensly. At the summit of Crib Goch, we spent a while chatting to some other people who were there. Afterwards, he said that that it was amazing that we had accidentally met up with some friends such a remote place. When I told him that we'd never met them before, he couldn't believe it. The concept of striking up a conversation with complete strangers was totally alien to him!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
The different uses of "fag" are a recurrent source of transatlantic misunderstanding. In British public schools (that is, independent fee-paying boarding schools...), a fag was a junior boy who had to skivvy for senior boys and / or on communal chores. Hence, British diplomats, etc., might well find themselves saying to surprised Americans, "Yes, I know him, he was my fag at Eton!..."
It was not unknown for fags in public schools to be, or (more often) to be put under unwanted pressure to be, fags in the transatlantic sense.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by nicholas
Re: National Differences in Humour
In Britain you can be really insulting to someone and they won't take offence if it's witty.Many languages have no translation for the word wit.Leg pulling has no Flemish equivalent.The nearest word they have is 'plagen' which means 'plagueing' or 'tormenting' Bill Bryson said that wit and leg pulling are the oils that keep the wheels of British society turning. He was at Oxford station once and they guy in the queue in front of him asked for a ticket to London.When asked the price the ticket seller said 'it's free,but there's a 10 pound service charge' The guy laughed and paid. Bryson said if the man who'd bought the ticket had been an American he would have said something like 'What kind of a cockamamie operation are you running here! I demand to see the manager!' Bill Bryson is an American writer who has lived in Britain for many years and understands our sense of humour.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by dafydd
Re: National Differences in Humour
If you are ever in the States do not tell someone that you will knock them up in the morning!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by dafydd
Re: National Differences in Humour
Or ask for a pencil with a rubber on it..
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by dafydd
Re: National Differences in Humour
Language changes are funny. I was thinking back to the late fifties where someone lights up a fag and, being of a generous disposition, asks if anyone would like a puff! This would probably cause a few raised eyebrows in the current noughties so I think humour is a "time" thing as well.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: National Differences in Humour
Dafydd - Your Bryson story reminds me of the time when I was queuing to get a newspaper at a newsagents at Piccadily undergound station, London. The person in front of me in the queue (an American) asked the newsagent for an "A to Zee" of London. The newsagent said that he didn't have an "A to Zee" - only an "A to Zed". (The American didn't appear to understand, and said that he would try somewhere else!).
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
A Derby man has a poorly cat. He goes to the vet ,"my cats poorly", the vet asks, "Is it a Tom". "No, I've brung him with me."
A Yorkshire dales shepherd has a champion sheepdog, won many a trial in it's prime, so the shepherd decides to have a figureen made cast in gold. The goldsmith asks, "do you want it eighteen carat" ?. Nay lad, we'll have him chewin-t-bone".
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Pete Stephenson
Re: National Differences in Humour
guy goes into the doctor's office with a carrot in his ear (to some, that;s funny already). "Doc" he says,"I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I'm tired, listless- generally run-down" The doctor looks him over and says"It's obvious. You're not eating right."
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by pipewatcher
Re: National Differences in Humour
I've been in trouble with Merkins on forums for innocently using such terms as "backwoodsmen" and "hillbillies" in what I thought had been a light-hearted fashion.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Steve Shaw
Re: National Differences in Humour
i've already told this one but as it concerns beermats: here in USA alot of people thought beermats advertising the Guinness Hurling Contest were hilarious. No one in Ireland thought it was funny. To the Irish, hurling is the national sport. To an American, it is a slang word for vomiting!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by pipewatcher
Re: National Differences in Humour
Sarcasm/irony is widely used here in Denmark, and even though it's not more explicit or below the waist, it has a different character than British or Irish leg pulling. So in my eyes there is no universal code of leg pulling. I've met a lot of frowned eyes in Ireland or wherever on that account
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by DADdyGADdy
Re: National Differences in Humour
Mixo, perhaps the American who replied about coasters/inland was having a sly poker-faced dig back at you!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Bren
Re: National Differences in Humour
dafydd -- for great French rock look no further than Jacques Dutronc! And the only thing we merkins would like less than being knocked up in the morning, would be if it were accompanied with a bit of spotted dick!
The whole idea of a national sense of humo(u)r is of course compounded by individual sensibilities. I know plenty of really dry, ironic people, and many people who's idea of sophisticated wit is a stale pun.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by fidkid
Re: National Differences in Humour
I think the differences from country to country comes from the use of words and having no knowledge of the meaning. I had to Goggle "Dodgy coupons" because I hadn't a clue as to its meaning or usage.
I knew the meaning of "fag" from Frank McCourt's book because his mother had to have a "Woodbine" fag. She wasn't turning tricks for "The excitement" or bisexual, she needed a smoke.
It part of the fun of reading the Discussions. It is way of gaining knowledge of sessionites from other parts of the world.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Cape Cod Struggler
Re: National Differences in Humour
Breno - maybe yes, if he was from a west coast or a southern state. But not if he was from the eastern seaboard - those folks seem to take everything very seriously!
Not that it matters either way - I nearly fell off my chair laughing when I read it!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Indeed yes, Parlor - all part of the fun.
Here's one example:
in your post, you said "Goggle dodgy coupons". In my neck of the woods, we would say "Google".
"Goggle" would have an altogether different meaning ...!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Hey Parlor - "woodbine" also has another meaning, to quote some lines from a traditional song called "Spencer the Rover"
"The night fast approaching, to the woods he restorted,
With woodbine and ivy his bed for to make ..."
Maybe he was "fagged out"?
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
"most of the input comes from members from countries where English is widely spoken: e.g. Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc."
Too right! English is so widely spoken in some of those places ya can't even understand it! Just as well people here can write eh.
...and I'm always impressed with the politeness of the phrase "smart ass". Sounds like a cute donkey or something.
Smart *a r s e* sounds a lot more effective...puts a bit of boot into it or something!
Now, there's no smoking allowed here either - so you can get that fag out of your mouth right now. And don't be flickin' yer fag butts on the floor either!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
Here's an example of dry Australian wit. The conversation took place years ago between me and my boyfriend's farmer father:
Father: Yes, we used to have a goanna farm [a goanna is a large lizard which likes to climb trees].
Me: A goanna farm!
F: Yeah, but it got too expensive.
M: Why was it expensive?
F: In the end we just couldn't afford the sardines.
M: Goannas don't eat sardines!
F: Of course they don't. We just needed the tins.
M: Why would you need sardine tins on a goanna farm?
F: Well, you know goannas will climb anything, so you can't build fences high enough to keep them in. So the only way to stop them climbing out is to strap sardine tins to their feet.....
At this stage, poor trusting young innocent that I was, even I realised my leg was being pulled......
This humour is very typical of country people - they will go on with stories like this for hours.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by qwertyuiop
Re: National Differences in Humour
Holy smokin' popes!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
Hey Duijera Dubh - here's one I heard concerning the word: "kangaroo".
Apparently, one of the early settlers (addressing an aboriginal) pointed to that animal and said: "Whats that called?"
The reply came back from the aboriginal: "Kangaroo".
So the name of this strange animal was duly recorded as such.
Only many years later was it discovered that the word "kangaroo" actually meant: "I don't understand what you are saying!"
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
That was told by Peter Ustinov on a show recorded in Vancouver about 30 years ago, "Mix". A great show if you can get a copy of it. Peter Ustinov had many several stories about this topic, which he recounted at that concert. A very funny man.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Kenny
Re: National Differences in Humour
Any truth in the story, Kenny?
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Maybe so, Mix! Ya never know.
I remember sitting in a training course once in Sydney, Australia, where people from all parts of the State were there including from the outback areas.
There was a guy in the class whose surname was “Aurelius”. Not a very common name in some parts you might think. Everyone seated themselves, the course convenor got out the front for a roll call. First name on the alphabetical list – Aurelius!
“Aurelius here?” called out the convenor in a stern voice.
“Year, mate, we’re all ‘ere, Get on with it will ya” came the dry Aussie outback drawl from the back of the room.
Get it? Get it? It’s a real knee-slapper ain’t it?!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
I used to work in a big city Court House registry office years ago. Lots of p*ssed-off people used to call the office.
My real gregarious outback Aussie work colleague at the next desk used to make a great impression answering the telephone: "GEDDAY! COURD 'OUSE 'ERE! 'OW YA GOIN'?"
(He's probably a judge now!)
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
Hope it's not true Didge. If so, Rolf Harris will need to change the words of his song to:
"Tie me I don't know what you are talking about, sport"
.. not that I ever understand what he's talking about, anyway!
Your story minds me of another:
"My wife' s gone to the Caribbean!
"Jamaica?"
No, she left on her own accord!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Two towns in New South Wales, Australia: Temora, another one Forster.
"I took my wife to the north coast for the weekend"
"Forster?"
"Nah, she wanted to go!"
"We're going to the country for a holiday."
"Temora?"
"Nah, next month"
...while we're on the golden oldies.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
So - ahm - that'd be pronounced "TeMAUra", wouldn't it.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
It's OK Duijera, this part of the English speaking world is up. We'll take the watch; You can go to bed.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
.. but before you do, Didge, no jokes about Queensland, then?
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Too early for friggin' bed, quigs! It's 1 a.m. - the day's only startin' to cool down! Fair crack of the whip!
I couldn't joke about the bananabenders, mix - we have to play the bast*rds in footy - y'd never hear the end of it!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
I have a friend from West Virginia who is part of our Friday afternoon sessions in Florida. He was riding my house on his bicycle one evening and hollered out "Cheatyet?".
Take a guess as what he was saying.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Cape Cod Struggler
Re: National Differences in Humour
It'd be a diversion from all the usual California bashing.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Aw, ok, here's a Queensland one for ya. I'll keep it tame.
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080131100400AAzExbD
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
That's cheat yet as in "Daughter your boy is a nice boy; but he cheat yets too near the house!"
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Humour in the English language often revolves, I think, around the sound of the regional use of the language, or use of homonyms (that’s nothing to do with fags either, in case you’re wondering) especially when their substitution leads to a heightened sense of irony. National Example? I dunno, such as in the tv program “Fawlty Towers”. Maybe that’s why the humour input here seems to come mainly from the first-language-English places.
Anyway, that’s my lucid thought for the day.
BTW, someone mentioned the German sense of humour. What is it?
(That is not meant to be a joke.)
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
People in the US sometimes have a hard time understanding slagging. It can often seem so over the top and personal, that sometimes we take it... uh... personally.
My nature has always been to tease people I'm close to, and so it's not a great leap to get used to slagging. And playing Irish music has definitely increased the severity of my slagging of my friends, even those who don't have anything to do with the music.
But a lot of people don't get it.
I have heard a quote attributed to Kevin Burke (don't know the truth of it), saying that when he first moved to the US, it took him a couple of years to realize that when someone was complimenting him directly, they actually *meant* it, and weren't just takin the p*ss.
That's another thing... How is it, exactly, that the phrases "taking the p*ss" and "giving someone sh*t" can mean the same thing?
That's not to say that people in the US don't have a good sense of humor. Just look at the likes of SWFL Fiddler, who has used his sense of humor to diffuse some tense moments on this site. I find myself laughing out lout at half the stuff he says. He has a happy-go-lucky, quirky way of turning around something that someone says to point out the obvious ridiculousness of an argument. But it's never personal, and it's never impolite at the same time. So I wouldn't be surprised if people across the pond sometimes find his sense of humor to be somewhat strange, because it seems like much of the humor in the UK and Ireland makes its living off of being impolite... And God forbid someone actually compliment your playing in a session in Ireland! That's a good sign that it's time to pack up and leave!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Reverend
Re: National Differences in Humour
In Australia, Reverend, you can also give people "heaps of sh*t"!
The psychology of slagging is a fascinating cultural study. Why is it so?
I've heard it said that when people are really slagging you (that'd be good slagging, not bad slagging) in Ireland, they really like you. It is like a complement. (At least that's what he told me!) But yeah, slagging definitely seems to have national boundaries.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
A lot of British-ims survive in Canada to this day. Canadian humour too is quite unlike the U.S....it's closer to Brit and irish humour...bit sly, double entendre stuff. Weirdly though many Canadian comedians made it quite big in the U.S. Americans seem to dig our quirky take on things which is, perhaps, less slapstick? I know these are generaities but there is some truth to the matter.
and for other things too.
One Amerian comic whose humour I think perhaps approximated a lot of Canadian material was Seinfeld.
Mike Myers grew up here in Scarborough [asutin powers...where he plays on the English fop/groover charachter] Eugene Levy [american pie, best in show], Dan Akryoyd, Rick Moranis [ghostbusters] Michael J. Fox, Catherine O'Hara, Jim Carrey, Martin Short, John Candy [uncle buck], Joe Flaherty were/are Canadian -- many were part of Second City comedy troupe and Saturday Night Live... oh right Lorne Michaels is Canadian too.
so we have a weird sense of humour. Just check out Kids in the Hall sketches on YouTube if they're to be found there. My favourite is "Cherry St. Cop"..but you might have to live in T.O. to truly get it.
I suppose Mike Myers captured our English heritage best with his foppish Brit groover from the 60s.
Truth is, Canadians are still fascianted by Brits and all things across the pond eastwards. And a lot of British words survive here....chesterfield for eg. not used a lot. mostly we use sofa, but people would know what you're talking about....or "cupboards" instead of shelves. No one uses "boot" for trunk, or "wellies" for rubber boots. But we do use "rubber' for eraser...
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by skin&bow
Re: National Differences in Humour
Your bang on Duijera. If you find yourself getting a real good slagging in Ireland its definitely a good thing. I had a friend from Greece stay with me for a few weeks a couple of years ago.
He became affectionately known as 'the foreign eejit' and the 'Greek geek'.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by session savage
Re: National Differences in Humour
that obviously wasnt meant to be eejit. It was foreign 'cúnt'
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by session savage
Re: National Differences in Humour
Could be that America is a much bigger mixture of cultures. Slagging might be too ambiguous. Could be that the violent past isn't so far behind us, as a country. It wasn't so very long ago in these parts, that men went about with fire arms. Pistols were drawn frequently, but seldom fired; armed men needed to treat each other with exagerated courtesy. Some of that style lingers to this day.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
"Bang On"!, ss, and I just love that as the name of that band. Feckin' great craic!
I dunno, I wonder whether slagging isn't more prevalent in English speaking countries which seem to have a hereditary class system.
Quigs is a bit bang on too (sorry about the gun analogy), but I think America, although English-speaking, has a huge European cultural influence, and I'm not sure that slagging goes over big there. Does it?
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
Aw shucks Rev. Who me?
Yeah, I can't shake being nice. Sorry. I have little kids. The whole clever mean thing takes a back seat to literalism with them.
Not to say I can't take the wiz and sling the doo-doo with the best of them, let's be clear here.
Oh, case in point. I think there was some troll-like thread recently which devolved into an analytical discussion of "Your Momma" jokes, which of course went clear over the heads of every non-American on here. Some Irish folks got their knickers all in a bundle over them.
“We love our mothers over here!”
OK, calm down now. Think of how you treat your friends.
Now, being an Irish American born in Philadelphia, I am well versed in "playing the dozens" as we called it back then.
"The Dozens?!?" you say?
Yes, because usually around the 12th "Your Momma" joke in a row, someone usually swings at someone else.
So, there you have it. In Ireland you can call your best friend a bog-trotting, sheep-romancing, moronic son of a goat with breath like the smokestack on the Titanic and everyone has a good chuckle, but say one "Your Momma" joke and it's all over, apparently.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: National Differences in Humour
D Dubh, we used to call 'slagging' 'busting'.
Young men everywhere tease each other unmercifully in the name of brotherhood and friendship. Middle-aged and old men too, everywhere you go.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: National Differences in Humour
DD
no, i wouldn't say slagging is the norm and would be frowned upon UNLESS you know the person well. Slagging a newbie at a session or in a social setting would be considered bad manners and aggressive. We like to be NICE here in Canada and the U.S. However, among mates it's a different matter...at least in Canada. Dunno about "America"
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by skin&bow
Re: National Differences in Humour
Didge - earlier in this discussion, you mentioned the British TV programme "Fawlty Towers". Presumably it was shown in Aus.
Another British TV comedy programme called "Are You Being Served" was transmitted in the USA, and apparently was very popular there. Along with the programme, they had a helpline, so that US viewers could phone in and have the terminology and jokes explained to them!
How bizarre is that?
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
"knickers in a knot", SWFL, "knickers in a knot" (not knickers in a bundle!) Whaddya talking about ! Sheesh!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
I'd never even heard the term "slagging" until I came to this site.
Oh yeah "sniggering" = "snickering"
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Fishmonger
Re: National Differences in Humour
Yeah, Fawlty Towers got a good run and repeats. Very popular. Same with Yes Minister (how true is that!) and The Bill...British TV stuff is very popular here. Even feckin' Blackadder - geez I could never cop that one!
mtodd - Canadians are nice, yes. I met some real nice Canadians over there once...in Montreal! Didn't get much further than that!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
Canadians have a reputation for politeness. Not a bad thing.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Australians do too!! They do !!! Really.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
The Germans can have a wicked, sardonic sense of humour - I can't think of examples at the moment, but I know this is so. It may have to do with their having gone through periods of history more grotesque than anything you could make up.
In Britain, the instant-wordplay / repartee kind of humour is generally found amusing but most of us are too dense to do it: comics who can do it ad lib, maybe to hecklers, are regarded like magicians, with a degree of awe.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by nicholas
Re: National Differences in Humour
Quigs - I think you may have a point about the firearms encouraging super-politeness. A year or two ago, I had a need on several occasions to call a helpline in Texas.
Lots of : Yes sir, and: "I'll do that for you sir!" and "Thanks for calling sir!" etc.
You don't get courtesy at that level when calling a helpline in the UK.
.. on the other hand, when I had occasion to call a helpline in New York, I felt that I was talking to a robot.
Regarding this board, it's probably just as well that guns don't work over the internet!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Yes, I know Australians are polite. And while I'm at it: you grow good citrus fruit too. Um... the paychecks for your firefighters will be a bit late. We're borrowing Fed. money to pay your people, and the New Zealanders, and the Spanish, and the Greeks......
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Did you eat yet?
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Kheelch
Re: National Differences in Humour
It's been a while since I heard that greeting!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Yeah, but where's the Fed getting the money from. Same place as Britain?
"Australians are polite"... I was actually just being polite, quigs.
It's my weird sense of humour again.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
Whatever our claim of politeness, evidently we are, none of us, as moral as the New Zealanders.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Who told you that!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
As for sledging, was it an Aussie, who said to Bothham as he approached the middle,"Beefy, how come your so fat"?.
"Cos every time I shag your wife she gives me a biscuit".
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Pete Stephenson
Re: National Differences in Humour
Quigley - If you're paying the Greeks, be sure to count your fingers afterwards.
That's a Greek joke, btw.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by nicholas
Re: National Differences in Humour
I take a bit of care when framing 'humour' on this site. It makes it all very interesting. You can say something to the Brits that they would find funny (or not!), which you know would have the opposite affect for the Americans (...and maybe Canadians...maybe, maybe!)
But what the hell the non-first-language-English readers make of it all, I don't know.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
Cheetchet? LOL!
Knot you say? Aha, hmm, I gotcha. See, normally I say 'don't get yer panties in a bunch' so there's the result when poorly mixing cultural metaphors.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: National Differences in Humour
What's the capital of Iceland?
About £3.50...
What's the difference between an investment banker and a pigeon?
A pigeon can still put a deposit on a new Ferrari...
There are a lot of these going round, and some work in just the same way as the music jokes here.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by nicholas
Re: National Differences in Humour
'don't get yer panties in a bunch'. Sheesh. That don't rhyme either, swfl! Get yer sh*t together, man!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
That'd be three pounds fifty sterling...and they're not givin it back. No joke.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
The time here now is beyond a joke! I'm gonna get some shut-eye. (Geez I like saying that - "shut-eye"! How cool is that! I'm gonna use it tomorrow!)
Carry on!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
Here's another:
A surgeon, an architect and an economist were discussing the account of the Creation in Genesis, and inevitably found themselves arguing about the primacy of their callings in the light of what they'd read.
"God was a surgeon!", said the surgeon: "He operated on Adam, removed a rib and made Eve!"
"He was an architect!", said the architect: "He made the universe out of chaos in six days".
"Well then", said the economist, "Who created the chaos?!.."
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by nicholas
Re: National Differences in Humour
It's 'Knickers in a TWIST'.
As in 'Don't get your....
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: National Differences in Humour
gosh, and I always thought it was "Panties in a WAD"
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Reverend
Re: National Differences in Humour
Careful Rev! When D Dubh wakes up he'll be on your case too for not rhyming!
What the ___ is this, poetry class for insults? Good Lord and Butter!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: National Differences in Humour
Or maybe it's a beginners "slag session"!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Fishmonger
Re: National Differences in Humour
One of the best ones I ever heard was an Irishman describing someone with tousled hair. "And the hair on him like a madwoman's fanny" Fanny in the British,not American sense of the word.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by dafydd
Re: National Differences in Humour
The greeting "Did you eat yet?" was used here when I was a kid. It was not common, exactly. It wasn't given any regional inflection; nor was it spoken all run together. Where did it come from?
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
I believe there´s a Chinese greeting which, when translated, comes out something like "Have you had your rice yet ?"
Maybe the Chinese brought it with them to California.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by murfbox
Re: National Differences in Humour
On "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue", which probably needs extensive footnotes in the US, the phrase "You'll have had your tea" in a Scottish accent always provokes gales of laughter.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by RichardB
Re: National Differences in Humour
Thanks murfbox, but there were unsurmountable barriers preventing that kind of cross-cultural exchange happening here. It was a long time before we discovered Chinese expressions, let alone Chinese food.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
It's Ironic in the extreme, that all the mountains of bacon and boiled beans consumed breakfast-dinner-supper by the miners, loggers, ranchers, and such, were dished up by kitchens of chinese.
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Mornington Crescent!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by ethical blend
Re: National Differences in Humour
So, Mix O'Lydian, to return to your question, you weren't suggesting that John Masefield was complaining about the table setting when he wrote
"Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smokestack"?
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by oldstrings
Re: National Differences in Humour
What is a Mornington Crescent? Masefield would have written: "Dirty British beer-mat with a salt-caked smokestack."
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
The German sense of humour is no laughing matter!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Ebor_fiddler
Re: National Differences in Humour
Germans do have a sense of humour. I learnt this joke when I lived in Germany:
Q: What are the three smallest books in the world?
A: The Great Book of Italian Heroes, The Secrets of English Cooking, and One Thousand Years of German Humour.
You gotta love 'em!
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by Alex Wilding
Re: National Differences in Humour
We have "did you you eat" here too Quigley, only we spell it "jeet?"
# Posted on October 16th 2008 by airport
Re: National Differences in Humour
OK, but do you say "Jeet?" instead of hello? Where does it come from?
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
A good visual gag will cross national boundaries. I've spent a lot of time travelling across China on regional airlines and found that slapstick on the inflight movie would always get the cabin rocking with laughter. Mr Bean was a perennial favourite.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by zepherin
Re: National Differences in Humour
I grew up in northern North Dakota, and we got Canadian television programs. So, I was lucky to have a steady diet of Monty Python and Are You being Served? We now get those programs, along with Keeping Up Appearances, etc on PBS stations. I used to watch AbFab, but it's not been picked up on many stations here. Occasionally, I can get it on one of those "women's" channels, like Oxygen.
Oh yeah, Red Green, Canadian, eh?
At work last week we were crushing heads...
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Wyogal
Re: National Differences in Humour
But, we do have Fargo...
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Wyogal
Re: National Differences in Humour
I'm not the only one, SWFL. It's "knickers in a twist" according to Guernsey Pete. That rhymes as well doesn't it.
Look at what your missing out on! - rhyming slangy things are really funny to a lot of people. Don't you think?
Ok...I guess not.
Tell me a joke.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
This one is good craic. Still doing the rounds:
http://grumpygitsplace.blogspot.com/2007/07/destroy-my-school.html
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
Wyogal - so US TV programmers didn't go for UK humour?
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by zepherin
Re: National Differences in Humour
They think they do, then program US versions that make the jokes sooooo obvious.
I think it's their fear of the word fag.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Wyogal
Re: National Differences in Humour
Local PBS airs a lot of BBC humor and drama. They also put out a disturbingly large amount of stuff about the monarchy. Is this for the English expat market?
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
nah, it's for the American market that is fascinated by the concept of a monarchy existing in a contemporary society.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Wyogal
Re: National Differences in Humour
It's said that the UK spends a lot of dough to maintain a favorable image here in the US.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
> It's said that the UK spends a lot of dough to maintain a favorable image here in the US.
By whom? Any idea why we'd need to do that?
It's said that you can still suck on fags in bars in the US.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Alex Wilding
Re: National Differences in Humour
One guess would be the monachists. The UK tourist industry would be another. A fovorable image in the US would mean dividends of dollars, for whomever runs the show. Smokers have to go outside to light up, at least in California; sorry.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Yes, in answer to your question "By whom?", the people who bring this up are the Irish expats.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Hey oldstrings, that was a bit of a "cheap tin tray" joke!
Anyway, even if Masfield was referring to table settings when he wrote: "Dirty British coaster, with a salt-caked smoke stack", that was back in the "mad March days".
Its October now!
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
What's a "smoke stack"?
And "Mornington Cresecent" is a place, not a thing. But, having told you that, AQ, you still wouldn't understand the game if you heard it.
Anywy, Samantha's just popped out to polish up her points. And what do points mean???
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by ethical blend
Re: National Differences in Humour
What's a "smoke stack" you say? It all depends. ... So many meanings are possible in the English language ....
... It could be something on which to cake salt, maybe ...
... Or it might be a collective word for a bunch of musicians who, not wishing to join in with a slow air, have nipped outside "for a fag" ...
In Masefield's case though, I suspect that he was referring to a funnel ...
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
To get this thread back on focus ...
Is anyone from Scotland following this discussion? If so, does the Scottish sense of humour differ in any respects from the English sense of humour? I suspect that it does.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Courtesy of a previous poster:
Why do Highland Pipers march when they're playing?
A. To get away from the drummers.
Love it. Classic!
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
Good joke, maybe - but a joke about the Scots, rather than an explanation of the Scottish sense of humour ....
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Mix O'Lydian,
Look up Billy Connolly on YouTube. Genius.
I find that my American friends do "get" slagging -- it is just a different sort of slagging. Someone already mentioned the fact the "Your Momma" jokes are very American and we used to throw these around endlessly. I don't use them in the UK because no one gets them. On the other hand, in the UK it is socially acceptable to call your good mates, "You c*nts" in an affectionate, slagging way, whereas you would never ever ever do that in the US.
It is hard to quantify differences, but I suppose something like Blackadder or Peep Show (which are awesome) wouldn't get as popular in the US as they did in the UK. There is a level of absurdity you find in British humour that isn't as prevalent in the US. There's also a willingness to offend people and poke fun at race, age, sex, disability, gender, etc. that you don't find as much in the US. Part of the reason for that is you can't be over the top in any kind of public forum. There are many American comedians who will happily engage in that sort of thing, but they have to be careful of their venue. Lots of easily offended groups have lobbyists who will threaten any entertainment organization with legal action if they are upset. I remember a few years ago there was a comedy show aired in the US about a fella who was hanging out with Jesus. Jesus was portrayed as a regular dude and it was a very funny show. Sadly the religious right organizations went apesh*t over it and the network pulled the show.
The trouble is when you use TV shows as examples (like I just did), you run into the problem of censorship in America (the land of free speech and all that). Standard operating procedure censureship isn't so blatant as my above example but has significant effects on the content of the TV. After about 9 or 10pm anything goes on the tele in the UK -- swearing, sex, nudity. In the US swear words are bleeped out at any hour and you will never see full frontal nudity unless you have cable.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by DrSilverSpear
Re: National Differences in Humour
Hey Didge,
Further to your questioning of session savage's use of the expression "smart ass", it' nothing to do with donkeys!
Click this link to find out:
http://images.cafepress.com/image/12556561_400x400.jpg
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Here's a Scottish joke:
The Glencoe vistor centre appointed a new manager, but the staff (all locals) were mortified when then discovered that his surname was "Campbell".
Throughout his first week relations were very strained, so in an attempt to break the ice, the manager decided to take his staff out on Saturday for a pub crawl in Glasgow.
All went well until they were leaving the last pub, when he remarked: "After all that drrrink, I could murder a McDonalds!"
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
I'm wondering who's kidding who when Americans are referred to, or refer to themselves, as 'merkins'. But I suspect not everyone knows the meaning of the word.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Lissagriffin
Re: National Differences in Humour
I had a merkin once to cover me Gerken. My hair? Its duty it was shirkin’.
Hey D Dubh! You’re right! Great fun!
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: National Differences in Humour
It was our other emperor from Texas, Lyndon Johnson, who started all this `merkin' business. Every time he addressed the nation, he would begin with" Mah fellow 'merkins...." Yes some of us Know the other meaning.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
I love Peter Bowler's 'Superior Person's Book of Words' where he suggests that on finding a young woman of your acquaintance in a reverie you say 'A merkin for your quim?', being suggestive of an archaic verion of 'A penny for your thoughts?'
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Lissagriffin
Re: National Differences in Humour
Might work in England.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Or Australia - Peter Bowler is Australian.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Lissagriffin
Re: National Differences in Humour
BTW for 'quim' see the alternative names for An Phis Fhluich in the tune database.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Lissagriffin
Re: National Differences in Humour
Never exactly thought of Australian English as being the language of dalliance. They'd as likely throw in "mad woman's fanny" references. American English isn't any more smooth in that regard..
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Good one, SWFL. Ok, I take your point. Rhyming bizzo must be more the Brit humour. Don't make up any more, your might end up alienating yourself in your neighbourhood!
It's very interesting talking with Americans - it's like an interactive movie or something!
(Mix, I do know that ass as in smart-ass has nothing to do with donkeys. I was just being a smart-arse, I guess. But thanks anyway. Sheesh!)
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
"Never exactly thought of Australian English as being the language of dalliance."
Depends who you're talking to, quigs.
Aussie women like a bit of language dalliance as much as anyone else. Maybe more, even!
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
...and if you can sound like Crocodile Dundee and use the Peter Bowles type dalliance, you'd be in like Flynn.
(Flynn was Australian too, you did know that didn't you?)
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
From Tasmania, where even the airplanes have hair under their wings, as someone described it,
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Could be that America has too big a mixture of cultures. Verbal dalliance can be ambiguous. Then there's all that vestigial tension from our violent past....
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Talking with some Australians is like interacting with a Warner Brothers' catroon.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Here ya, quigs. Did ya know about this?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Ducks
Catch ya later.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
Ha ha., I know, quigs, I know, it's all part of the craic.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
CARTOON Yes I know who the Sydney Ducks were. There's no evidence of anyone in that mob's being a good romancer. How does this reference further your argument? San francisco took a dim view of visitors from Sydney for a long time afterward; until Harry Bridges came over to lead the ILWU. There was a good man. (Don't know about his qualifications as a Romeo)
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Pardon my irreverence, Harry, wherever you are.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: National Differences in Humour
Well, It's goodbye Muirton Durcan
I'm sick and tired of merkins ...
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Spaypainted in huge letters on a bridge in Sydney a week before the big trans Tasman Rugby international "NEW ZEALAND SUX"
Replied to a week later underneath "AUSTRALIA NIL"
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: National Differences in Humour
Ah yes, it's us Germans getting the stick again
I don't blame you. The Les Barker tale is hilarious. (And so is Les Barker live.)
I thoroughly enjoy the English kind of humour as it is described by Bill Bryson.
I particularly liked the way people in Yorkshire give you a nickname as soon as you get there. Often it 's the opposite of what they mean, like calling a tall man Shorty.
I wonder if that's done anywhere else.
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by kuec
Re: National Differences in Humour
very common here in the US. I've a friend who keeps his head clean- shaven. Everyone calls him "Curly" -like the famous Globetrotter
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by pipewatcher
Re: National Differences in Humour
Globetrotter? is that a pig with a club foot ?
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Pete Stephenson
Re: National Differences in Humour
good one!
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by pipewatcher
Re: National Differences in Humour
Reckon that it must be the environment in Germany that surpresses the sense of humour. Take a German out of that environment - say to the UK - and he will quickly get the idea. In fact, so much so that they'll laugh at a joke that would make the rest of us groan. An old chestnut to us is a brand new joke to them!
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
So, nicknames go by opposites, then eh. I always wondered why people keep telling me that a lousy musician ..... !
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
As final evidence for American skill with 'slagging' I leave you with the Master, the One and Only:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ALHiadIsKo
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: National Differences in Humour
"Three Lords Went A-Hunting", old ballad, ended up as "They went along a bit further", a Geordie ( NE England ) song.
Englishman defines what they've seen, Scotsman denies it, Geordie puts a funny slant on it.
Much corrupted as all ethnic jokes go.
Frenchman insists that after making love to his girlfriend she levitates 30 centimetres above the bed.
Italian insists that after making love to his girlfriend she levitates 60 centimetres above the bed.
Australian says "After poking my Sheila I wipe my d1ck on the drapes and she hits the ceiling !".
# Posted on October 17th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: National Differences in Humour
SWFL - That's brilliant! He's a funny man. That's goin' on my favourites. ROFL.
)
(Guernsey's joke is a very English sense of humour I think. Don't worry we're used to it here.
# Posted on October 18th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: National Differences in Humour
what did one snowman say to the other snowman?
# Posted on October 19th 2008 by pipewatcher
Re: National Differences in Humour
A question with many answers, pipewatcher. Here are a few:
- Hey man, you look really cool!
- Welcome to snowman's land ....
- Can you smell carrots?
# Posted on October 20th 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: National Differences in Humour
Mix O'Lydian, I am the guilty party who contributed the comment about referring to "beer mats" as "coasters" no matter how far inland we lived or went to play music. I was trying to make a joke and apparently my sense of humor was too subtle and understated.
For the record, I live in the United States.
I am vaguely familiar with some British slang words.
For example, approximately twenty-five years ago, I remember reading a story about a musician who came here from somewhere in Great Britain (London, if I remember correctly). He had no problems when he went through customs or with his passport. Then, after he checks into his hotel in New York City, since he doesn't have any cigarettes, he goes to the hotel store and asks (very innocently), "Do you have any fags here?"
In 1993, I was at a party where one of the guests was a woman from Bulgaria who hadn't been living in the United States very long. When the hostess asked the Bulgarian woman "Would care for some iced tea?", the Bulgarian woman responded with a blank and confused look until it was explained to her that the hostess was offering her some iced tea to drink.
I watched most of the episodes of "Are You Being Served?" and didn't have trouble understanding any of the humor.
If you really want to talk to a robot, just go to Washington, D.C. There is a big white house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Just knock on the door and ask to speak to the robot-in-charge (I would say the same thing if John Kerry had won the election in 2004).
# Posted on October 21st 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: National Differences in Humour
"do you smell carrots?"
" i can't smell anything. this rabbit came and bit my nose off, that's why i have two black eyes!"
# Posted on October 22nd 2008 by pipewatcher
Re: National Differences in Humour
A Yorkshire man is a Scotsman with the generosity bashed out! (How's that for a double national stereotype?)
I think we must be in Nidd by now.
# Posted on October 31st 2008 by Ebor_fiddler