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Original poster

You can’t beat British humour! One thing we are still best at in the world

190 replies

JennyTals · 22/02/2025 01:44

I know it a time of terrible doom and gloom
trump, putin, shit weather, people struggling

but thank FUCK
for our good old sense of humor that keeps us strong !

OP posts:
NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 21:30

Wildflowers99 · 22/02/2025 20:43

They can’t stand anyone else having a good time. The kind of person who develops a migraine if somebody laughs.

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Well you really are showing your ignorance here. I laugh a lot, every day, and from reading MN I would say I have a far better sense of humour than the many, many, posters on here who take themselves, and life, oh so seriously.

You however, aren't actually funny, you are deluding yourself if you think you are. Maybe it's just that I happen to appreciate a more sophisticated sense of humour.

NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 21:26

Goldenbear · 22/02/2025 20:41

Why are you on a British based forum if the idea of Britain in seemingly every form is repugnant to you!

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I mentioned humour (and the NHS) and yet somehow you have deduced that the idea of Britain in every form is repugnant to me Confused

I do like some British humour, I never said I didn't, but there is also some I don't find funny at all, and some I really don't understand. What I object to most about some Brits is this idea that they are better than everyone else.

Trixiefirecracker · 22/02/2025 21:00

There’s a lot of people who are really annoyed at how funny we British are. 😂

Wildflowers99 · 22/02/2025 21:00

Goldenbear · 22/02/2025 20:48

'Blackadder' isn't uniquely British??

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Neither is Big Ben apparently

Goldenbear · 22/02/2025 20:48

BlueSilverCats · 22/02/2025 20:46

  • It’s heavily satirical, self deprecating and has a way of lightening fairly bleak situations.

Have you ever seen Blackadder?*

I agree and like I said, I enjoy a lot of it. It's not uniquely British though.

'Blackadder' isn't uniquely British??

BlueSilverCats · 22/02/2025 20:46
  • It’s heavily satirical, self deprecating and has a way of lightening fairly bleak situations.

Have you ever seen Blackadder?*

I agree and like I said, I enjoy a lot of it. It's not uniquely British though.

Wildflowers99 · 22/02/2025 20:43

Goldenbear · 22/02/2025 20:41

Why are you on a British based forum if the idea of Britain in seemingly every form is repugnant to you!

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They can’t stand anyone else having a good time. The kind of person who develops a migraine if somebody laughs.

Wildflowers99 · 22/02/2025 20:41

BlueSilverCats · 22/02/2025 15:31

@SallyWD what is British humour? What exactly makes it unique?

It’s heavily satirical, self deprecating and has a way of lightening fairly bleak situations.

Have you ever seen Blackadder?

Goldenbear · 22/02/2025 20:41

NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 20:21

I agree with a pp, if this is an example of British humour then I am eternally glad I don't live there and have to be constantly subjected to it.

You really aren't as funny as you think you are.

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Why are you on a British based forum if the idea of Britain in seemingly every form is repugnant to you!

Goldenbear · 22/02/2025 20:39

MasterBeth · 22/02/2025 10:11

Whereas you resorted to that most witty and original of hilarious signifiers - the grinning emoji - to reveal the depths of your comedic soul to a grateful nation.

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How old are you, Benny Hill? Are those comedies still being exported to other countries??

The Thick Of It is old now but I think epitomises British humour. I have Danish family and they love the British humour.

Wildflowers99 · 22/02/2025 20:34

NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 20:32

I do wish MN would produce a yawn reaction emoji.

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🥱

NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 20:32

Wildflowers99 · 22/02/2025 20:23

I agree with a pp, if this is an example of British humour then I am eternally glad I don't live there

So are we!

I do wish MN would produce a yawn reaction emoji.

Wildflowers99 · 22/02/2025 20:23

I agree with a pp, if this is an example of British humour then I am eternally glad I don't live there

So are we!

Trixiefirecracker · 22/02/2025 20:21

NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 20:12

While I agree that there are often threads where Brits moan about their country have you missed the many, many, many, threads where someone is moving to the US/Australia/NZ/any other country and half of MN piles on to tell them what a dreadful place it is and how much more superior the UK is? Not to mention the many "the NHS is the envy of the world" posters (it really isn't).

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Yes.

NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 20:21

Wildflowers99 · 22/02/2025 09:40

I’m imagining her sucking a lemon as she furiously typed that out.

Long live the British humour!

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I agree with a pp, if this is an example of British humour then I am eternally glad I don't live there and have to be constantly subjected to it.

You really aren't as funny as you think you are.

NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 20:12

Trixiefirecracker · 22/02/2025 08:59

I think actually we British are much better at moaning in about how shite our country is and are mostly rubbish at blowing our own trumpets. Usually very self depreciating and modest. Unlike, say America, where it’s perfectly fine to do this, we Brits would find this cringe-worthy. I like this thread because unusually it is saying something positive about the U.K. as opposed to the million others complaining about how shit we are. 😂

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While I agree that there are often threads where Brits moan about their country have you missed the many, many, many, threads where someone is moving to the US/Australia/NZ/any other country and half of MN piles on to tell them what a dreadful place it is and how much more superior the UK is? Not to mention the many "the NHS is the envy of the world" posters (it really isn't).

DanFmDorking · 22/02/2025 19:13

This is My favourite Scottish humour.

PocketSand · 22/02/2025 19:01

Cabin Pressure is a great example of quintessentially British humour but the best I have come across lately are the stories told by Sarah Kendall. Very funny and very moving. Brits and Americans don't seem to be able to do that without seeming mawkish. Although British comedy's do seem able to undercut - eg Rodney's reaction to del boys son being called Damien in only fools.

PocketSand · 22/02/2025 18:48

On TV I love the early Red Dwarf (big international Reddit audience who quote phrases) - I remember carter the unstoppable sex machine quoting the 'fat bastard' rant. I also love Father Ted and Yes Minister was pure genius.

These days I love radio 4 comedy

Trixiefirecracker · 22/02/2025 18:41

thedogatethecattreats · 22/02/2025 13:13

it's not
Foreigners are still puzzled by Benny Hill, Little Britain, Mr Bean 😂

It does make sense that each country finds things funnier when they're related to their own culture, and not everything translates well.

The only ones who think British humour is the elite are.. British. 😄

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What do you mean by foreigners? I think this is absolute rubbish. Mr. Bean is huge or was huge in lots of countries, especially around Asia. Benny Hill ( no idea while he is being constantly referenced as it was so long ago) was big in Germany and other parts of Europe when I lived there and Little Britain was all over Australia.

BunnyLake · 22/02/2025 18:15

BlueSilverCats · 22/02/2025 17:22

Saturday Night Live being a prime example, I really don't know why they rave about that

It's the equivalent of Benny Hill, just with more words and bad songs.Grin

I watched a bit of Gilda Radnor on SNL in a documentary on her life and I just didn’t get it. No offence to her (and her stuff was many years ago) but that humour went right over my head.

BunnyLake · 22/02/2025 18:12

SwanOfThoseThings · 22/02/2025 16:55

No one does humour quite like the Scots!

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The accent helps a lot. I love Limmy’s accent and find some of his anecdotes very funny (although I’m not an expert on him or anything, just came across him on an audio book sample).

suburberphobe · 22/02/2025 18:07

Our television dramas and comedies are often superb and having watched a lot of TV in other countries it’s definitely superior!

I agree. Documentaries too.

Glad I live in a country - not UK - where we get BBC 1, 2. First and World Service.

Talonz · 22/02/2025 18:00

One does not need to qualify unique by adding 'in their own way' because that is what uniqueness is.

Bread is unique from country to country, but all good bread is of a similar quality. Dakos, Swedish rye, French stick. Its diverse, but its bread.

Daisy May Cooper in This Country makes me roar. So does Remi Gaillard on You Tube. Both are unique. Yes they are ancient languages. Contrasted with Cheers and Frasier, which I watch in the morning before the Countdown rerun. Not funny at all. A different language.

BlueSilverCats · 22/02/2025 17:22

Saturday Night Live being a prime example, I really don't know why they rave about that

It's the equivalent of Benny Hill, just with more words and bad songs.Grin