How would you describe the English humor?

Question

Is it different to other countries? Would you post an instance?

Answer 1

Much British humor is probably akin to an episode of Monty Python,which has links to alcohol,flirty women,or a brief scene of Charlie Chaplin walking along a street with cane and top hat.
Some responses say British humor is dry,I think it is very sharp,sarcastic,and to the point. Britain's do not leave many leaves unturned in their emotions,and will tell you right to your face what they think of you,or any situation for that matter,very contrite and precise. That is why Margaret Thatcher was such a great stateswoman,she had a firm grasp on the English language,as opposed to the wafflings of those currently in power.

Answer 2

It's spelt humour!

Much more ironic, subtle and sarcastic that Americans are used to, hence why they often don't get all of it. When it uses sarcasm it isn't always obvious, hence more subtle, and lets face it, the yanks aren't quite the most subtle nation on the planet. Making you have to think to get the joke is a lot funnier than when one is forced down your throat, as in many American comedies, though.
Double entendres and unforeseen events that in fore site were quite obvious and used a lot; like Del falling through the bar in only fools and horses, or the wrong chandelier being taken down (British people will no what I mean, otherwise, google it) are funny because no one was expecting those things to happen, but in fore site they were very obvious.

I'd agree with wise owl that most of the 'comedies' put up by the BBC nowadays are crap, and not humorous in the least. That the BBC can no longer tell when a joke is funny though doesn't detract from the humour of the Nation as a whole.

Answer 3

English!

Answer 4

Its like all humour, based on taking the p-ss out of some unfortunate who is a current theme or simply in the newspapers etc.
Problem is its very deep, can be clever and usually upsets the French and Americans who do not possess the thought processes to understand it. They tend to react badly which raises great hoots amongst the brits (not just the english). For years the english have made fun of the irish and one of my irish friends from Dublin University asked me why that was. I told him it was because most of the irish we met tended to be intellectually challenged. He turned to his friend(also from D/U) and said "It only goes to prove its true what I said----WE EXPORT ALL THE TIC ONES TO ENGLAND SO THEY WILL FEEL MORE AT HOME". We all fell about to this which shows not only can we give it but also take it. Would the French and yanks please take note.

Answer 5

It used to be tongue in cheek, dry and subtle. People like Peter Sellers who did a spoof of a great tourist attraction about a slummy area of London for instance or films like the Carry on series. Also there was the marvellous Joyce Grenfell who was absolutely brilliant at innuendo and excellent actresses like Penelope Keith who could do pseudo-snob like no other.

Nowadays it has often become gross, vulgar and crude as in Little Britain, or with unamusing characters like Saunders and Lumley, or repetitive and banal ones like Catherine Tate. Dawn French in "The Vicar of Dibley" is quite amusing and her husband was a hoot in "Chef!" taking the mickey out of pompous TV cooks.

Answer 6

Monty Python.

Life's a piece of ****,
when you look at it.

There is alternative comedy, it is an alternative to comedy where a performer talks complete nonsense and humiliates the audience for half an hour without saying anything funny, but because he dont do n****r jokes that is fine.
Bring back Bernard Manning I say

Answer 7

English?
or British humour?

British humour is one of a kind as it's kind of dry and not so ott most other countries are more open to humour and see pranks and jokes in a different way

Answer 8

English people are a bit obsessed with dressing in drag, sex and swearing. If you cut through that nonsense, I think they're extremely clever, sharp and observant.
The topical news show with Paul Merton and Ian Hislop makes me laugh. I was watching repeats too, of Drop the Dead Donkey.

Answer 9

I LOVE English humour, and I am Danish. I would describe English humour as dry and a bit on "the dark side", mmmmm - and ironic - and best of all: AMERICANS just don't GET it, which makes it even more hilarious.

Answer 10

we have a realistic sense of humour not a false one like a certain country with three letters ie; u s a we can take mickey out of our selves and still laugh together we people watch in a funny way