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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:
MasterBeth · 22/02/2025 10:11

BunnyLake · 22/02/2025 09:55

And stated by you in a very non humorous way MasterBeth. 😁

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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.

SwanOfThoseThings · 22/02/2025 10:07

I think the British have a rare ability to retain humour even in the direst of situations - the 'only when I laugh' gene.

Doloresparton · 22/02/2025 10:03

MasterBeth · 22/02/2025 08:22

You are proud of Benny Hill, are you? Why?

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Why are you being deliberately obtuse?

LeavesOnTrees · 22/02/2025 10:02

My non British DH loves our humour.

He likes when I drop in a totally ridiculous statement when something serious is happening / being discussed.

BunnyLake · 22/02/2025 10:02

ThatNimblePeer · 22/02/2025 09:37

oh god is this meant to be an example of the peerless British sense of humour

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I found it funny 😁

soupyspoon · 22/02/2025 10:01

NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 08:09

I don't think anyone has "the best" humour, why do Brits have to turn everything into a competition?

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Brits?

I take it you've never met any other nationalities then, who will tell you really quite seriously about how they are the best at x, y, z.

British people generally are quite self deprecating, this is not replicated in many countries around the world.

TankFlyBossW4lk · 22/02/2025 09:56

My friend and I grew up with Love Thy Neighbour and Mind your Language etc. We used to watch it with our parents and laugh at it loads. We both loved those sit coms. When we showed our kids, however, they were appalled and didn't find them funny at all. My friend and I thought we'd been conditioned after a while. Though we still found it funny.

I love the witticism in British humour though. But I don't know enough about any other cultures to know about their humour.

BunnyLake · 22/02/2025 09:55

MasterBeth · 22/02/2025 07:47

What a load of self-serving soft nationalistic exceptionalist nonsense.

We don't have the greatest sense of humour in the world.

Neither do we have the best TV, military, queues, police, landscape, weather, manners, way of life, sense of justice etc in the world. All things that British society tried to teach us growing up.

Firstly, we don't have one single British sense of humour. We have a variety of modes of humour, from Jim Davidson to Judy Love to Victoria Wood to Reeves and Mortimer to Last of the Summer Wine to Carry On to Peep Show to pantomime to Stewart Lee.

Secondly, our humour, like all nation's humour, is shaped by us and for us. The things we find most funny are ourselves, our habits, our stereotypes. Of course British people love British humour best. It's what we know. It's who we are.

That doesn't mean it's "the best". It means it's the best for us.

And stated by you in a very non humorous way MasterBeth. 😁

Idontknowhatnametochoose · 22/02/2025 09:42

I love the British sense of humour. It has always seemed more subtle and ironic than Americam humour which is more in your face and bolshy.

Wildflowers99 · 22/02/2025 09:40

BMW6 · 22/02/2025 09:35

You are pulling a Cats Bum Face aren't you! 😂😂

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

Long live the British humour!

ThatNimblePeer · 22/02/2025 09:37

BMW6 · 22/02/2025 09:35

You are pulling a Cats Bum Face aren't you! 😂😂

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oh god is this meant to be an example of the peerless British sense of humour

BMW6 · 22/02/2025 09:35

NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 08:14

@MasterBeth put it very well. I think we do a lot of things well in the country I live it, but I certainly wouldn't trumpet that we are "the best", and yet there are always posters on here claiming that Britain is the best at something. It's just weird to think you are so much better than everyone else.

You are pulling a Cats Bum Face aren't you! 😂😂

ThatNimblePeer · 22/02/2025 09:35

OP speaks every single language in the world and has experienced the humour of every country and culture, including the Andaman Islands, to come to this totally reliable and not remotely biased conclusion.

Tcateh · 22/02/2025 09:33

sashh · 22/02/2025 08:01

I was once transiting through a German airport. I use a wheelchair for this and then I was driven out to the plane while they were still loading luggage.

The two people transporting me were in fits of giggles and said, "we have been telling all our friends we are collecting Miss sashh", more giggles.

So I asked what was funny.

I share my surname with a famous actress, apparently that is the funniest thing in a German airport. Possibly in Germany.

Just totally different.

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😆

DazedDragon · 22/02/2025 09:31

I liked the fact that the English sense of humour meant that they could laugh at themselves.

Or at least used to!

It's all become a bit woke nowadays with far too many people getting offended at what was nothing but humour and no offense meant whatsoever.

TorroFerney · 22/02/2025 09:30

NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 06:32

Really, I've never heard anyone here say that British humour is elite. I think some of you delude yourselves - it's a bit like 'the NHS in the envy of the world' which is oft quoted on here.

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You must have, people say on a daily basis that British humour is elite. It's constant. I don't think a day passes without it being said.

Dolphinnoises · 22/02/2025 09:26

MasterBeth · 22/02/2025 07:47

What a load of self-serving soft nationalistic exceptionalist nonsense.

We don't have the greatest sense of humour in the world.

Neither do we have the best TV, military, queues, police, landscape, weather, manners, way of life, sense of justice etc in the world. All things that British society tried to teach us growing up.

Firstly, we don't have one single British sense of humour. We have a variety of modes of humour, from Jim Davidson to Judy Love to Victoria Wood to Reeves and Mortimer to Last of the Summer Wine to Carry On to Peep Show to pantomime to Stewart Lee.

Secondly, our humour, like all nation's humour, is shaped by us and for us. The things we find most funny are ourselves, our habits, our stereotypes. Of course British people love British humour best. It's what we know. It's who we are.

That doesn't mean it's "the best". It means it's the best for us.

Plugs though. We actually do have the best plugs in the world.

BlueSkyBeing · 22/02/2025 09:24

I would agree based on what non Brits I've met have said to me referencing our iconic sense of humour. Based around our use of irony and also the clever silly ness of Monty Python.

I have also heard it said in documentaries and books etc by non Brits often enough to think our sense of humour is a 'thing' internationally.

Trixiefirecracker · 22/02/2025 08:59

NattyTurtle59 · 22/02/2025 08:14

@MasterBeth put it very well. I think we do a lot of things well in the country I live it, but I certainly wouldn't trumpet that we are "the best", and yet there are always posters on here claiming that Britain is the best at something. It's just weird to think you are so much better than everyone else.

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. 😂

TheTallgiraffe · 22/02/2025 08:59

Yes, the British are still best in the world at British humour .

vivainsomnia · 22/02/2025 08:58

Benny Hill was popular in Europe not because it considered English humour funny but because it made fun of English Humour, in a 'isnt it funny how Brits think they are funny' way.

I personally don't like British humourists as a whole as a lot of it is based on taking the piss of others. It's a bit too easy to be 'funny' in my view, but I do love individual's humour in context. That can be priceless.

I do agree that sadly, individual humour is a dying thing as people have become to scared to offend, which is so sad.

Newgirls · 22/02/2025 08:42

British humour is one thing we do export really well

I also love some of the US tv comedies - shitts creek etc - the comedy films less so

TheLibrocubicularist · 22/02/2025 08:38

What I love about Brits is the ease with which they can slip into idle chit chat with strangers.

Disclaimer: I am excluding the misanthropists of Mumsnet!

Natsku · 22/02/2025 08:38

British humour is ones of the things I miss most now I've left Britain. Sure I can watch British comedies (though I am very annoyed that Netflix in my country has just added Ghosts, but its added the American version) but I miss the banter of chatting with Brits. Finnish humour is just not the same (I've tried to watch the very classic and much loved Finnish comedy programme Kummeli and it just falls flat on me), and the banter isn't the same though it is still amusing.