British Humour

It's considered that specific humour is one of several features according to which a true Englishman will immediately be identified. This sense of humour is hardly ever possible to understand by people with poor knowledge of English.

English subtle humour (the average ill-informed mere mortals even call it dry) is based on pun – the so-called game of words when one and the same phrase has two meanings. There are myriads of examples of such exquisite humour in Britain (same old 'Beatles' who still bring us joy with their beats or the great name of the eating-house 'DEW DROP INN', - have you ever noticed that it's the same as a charmingly inviting expression: 'Do Drop In'?)

One of the characteristic features of a typical English joke is its imperturbability even under absurd circumstances and special attention to tiniest details on the background of the total grotesque.

A man enters a bar and orders a double whiskey and soda. Having enjoyed the drink, he pays for it, walks up along the wall, slowly wanders along the ceiling, climbs down the opposite wall and vanishes through the door. Everyone in the bar is shocked and is gazing emptily at the bartender. 'So strange indeed, - he agrees, - usually this gentleman orders one whiskey......So British, isn't it?

English coolness and sluggishness have now become the talk of the town (if not the whole world), even the Brits themselves enjoy scoffing at their own peculiar features. As we've already learnt, occasional scoffing at yourself is a virtue rather than defect.

The weather is a well-known subject of British jokes. They mock at their invariable smog and frequent autumn mists very gently and lovingly. The greatest 'skill' of the English humour is that it manages to mock at sacred things without reducing itself to blasphemy.

English humour has several types. Especially silly jokes are called 'the elephant jokes'; 'dry sense of humour' suggests irony; 'banana skin sense of humour' implies primitive jokes, i.e. someone slips on banana skin and the rest are laughing at him. There are also 'shaggy-dog' stories – funny but absurd jokes with an unexpected end (mostly about dogs).

Humour is boundless. The Brits laugh at anything that can make them laugh including the government and even royal family members. It isn't common to get all offended after hearing such jokes, ability to laugh at yourself is definitely a merit there (as well as everywhere). Your reaction at these jokes in Britain is a sort of potential partnership test for you.

English hunmour is not only their specific forte, it's their lifestyle. One English wise expression says 'Everyone has a fool in his sleeve'. It's very true if referred to their sense of humour. Their conversation still represents a sort of seriously funny sword-play where each interlocutor instantly 'catches' available roles and plays them in the necessary manner.

Now you know that British humour really is unique. As well as the Brits with their perfect ability to elephantjoke and stay as cool and unruffled as an old leather armchair.