British Humour

Is it true that the british laugh at different things from people in other countries? Let’s have a look at what we laugh at in Britain.

1. To the British, the powerful and important are often figures of fun. It’s not just politicians who make us chuckle[咯咯地笑] but anyone whose job it is to tell other people what to do and who take themselves too seriously. We laugh at our class system too―especially those who try to present themselves as“better” than they are.

2. We giggle[哈哈地笑] at authority, but also, sympathetically, with anyone who is downtrodden[被压迫的]. We know they can’t win, but if they do so occasionally, it’s even funnier. Our clowns are often silly people doing silly things, while in America, they are often clever people doing clever things―and winning.

3. The British laugh when other people might despair, one of the oddest things to appreciate about British humour. People say that the British are reserved and reluctant to show their feelings, and that this is expressed in our humour. I don’t really think that’s true but I know that we do have a strong sense of irony. “Not very pleasant”, we say after some terrible experience, and that’s perhaps why we sometimes laugh at things that should be taken seriously―accidents or funerals, for example. Coupled with this is our love of understatement. “It’s a bit windy today”we might say in the middle of a typhoon, or, “There’s a slight problem” when something has gone very seriously wrong.

4. A stand-up comedian(someone who tells jokes for a living) will often begin by saying “Have you ever noticed…” We find humour in ordinary, boring life, especially its negative aspects. As well as this, we find it amusing to tell jokes about things that have gone wrong for us, rather than not mentioning them in case we look stupid. Our stories might start with “I’m such an idiot, I did something really stupid yesterday”.

5. Another thing that can make it difficult to understand “British humour” is that we don’t always laugh or even smile when we say something funny. We often “keep a straight face” or use an unsmiling,“deadpan[麻木的，呆滞的]” expression even when we’re making a joke. 6. One final thing: Lots of British humour is based on word play. It is very easy to “pun[双关语]” in English because lots of words have more than one meaning or sound like other words. The results are often enough to make you groan[叹息]. For example, what do you do if you feel hungry when you’re on the beach? Eat the sand which is there. Get it? Sand which is there / sandwiches there. See, I told you punning was groanworthy.

So, is the British sense of humour unique? Well probably not. It is the combination of all these features that make the British laugh and my friends from other countries ask, “Why is that funny?”