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British humour

What defines it? What sets it apart from other countrie's humour?
What are your best examples of deploying it and- it not being very well received?

I suppose there is a murky grey area where 'forces humour'overlaps British humour.

Quick example of mine - Joe_civvie off here posted on FB he was in hospital with a mystery stomach condition. I posted "Have they ruled out pregnancy?"
Lead balloon. He was in Hong Kong at the time and many people commenting were there also.

4 weeks later he was dead from stomach cancer.
Our sense of humour helps us make light of heavy situations and makes us all share a laugh with the hope of increasing morale when someone is going through a rough patch. Love it me!
 
In Egypt 2001 I was playing soldiers on Bright Star in the 'Jingly Tent' (Why was it called that? I never found out) was showing 'The league of gentlemen' not the Jack Hawkins film a wedge of Yanks were watching it and whilst this scene was showing it was more fun watching the audience.

The Brits laughing like drains while the colonials were scratching their heads and trying to find the humour in pissing in a glass.

I suspect Aussies and Kiwis would laugh, Canucks I'm not sure.

You be the judge:

 
British humour is me and the old man tootling along in the car and an ad comes on the radio for Mini babybel:

"When hunger strikes, you can rely on ...."

We both shout "Bobby Sands" and piss ourselves laughing.
 
Topically, I had this sent to me by a friend a while ago......... synchronicity, eh?
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I often cringe and feel sorry for septics when I’m in the US. I’ll sometimes give a typically British answer (usual dripping with sarcasm/self depreciation) to a simple question & they’ll give a straight/serious answer with added helpful advice, as my response has gone ‘Whhhooosh!’.
They don’t get it. It takes me a few days to adjust to their literal ways.
Have to agree with you, a few years ago four of us were in LA at the beginning of a long road trip holiday, we pulled into a petrol station, and as is the custom I went in first to get my credit card authorised for payment before filling up. I was a little taken aback to find a State Trooper in the shop, as I spoke to the attendant the cop asked, “ “Where you from son?” Which got my back up straight away as the only one who called me son was my dad! London I reply, always easier than saying where you are actually living. “Tell me son, how do your police police without guns?”, I sensed my opportunity and replied with a straight a face as I could muster, Oh our cops prefer a sword, silent and cleaner kill. The State Trooper’s face and the attendants face were an absolute picture as I walked out back to the pump, grinning like a Cheshire Cat!
 
Bob’s post above reminds me, and it had been mentioned above, the utter absurdity of British humour. Mad punning, jet-propelled NAAFis, Monty Python’s “fish slapping dance”, The League of Gentlemen and Viz, and so on.
Viz was the prompt as I used to love their weird pseudo-adverts. One was for a “fishing” magazine for men who like to fish for cheese.
”How I landed a 100lb Babybel”. Strange, makes no sense and yet really funny.
I suppose the point is: it’s daft, makes no sense, and if you can slightly reference someone or take the piss, even better.
And utterly baffling to foreigners.
 

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