Please don't take offence Americans out there but I want to know if you have an understanding of "dry wit"

Question

like say British Humour. I am just noticing a trend, as an Australian, that some of you don't seem to "get" tongue in cheek type answers and/or questions but I am not having a go I am just very interested. For instance Australians are all the time "taking the Mickey out of people and having a bit of a dig" but we all seem to know when this is happening and see the joke. I am wondering if Americans take questions at purely face value. What do Yahoo contributors think about this query????

Already the answers are what I would have expected: Attack...attack. Don't answer the question at all. Way to go!!!!

Well Daniel "gets" my question. Now for instance I gave a really stupid answer to a question re Noah and how he defended his ark from the Babylonian submarines a couple of days ago and some of the Americans thought it was for real Like they asked Did they have submarines in those days???? like they really believed my tongue in cheek answer and I am wondering as many Americans would be maybe British descent how come some of this dry wit seems to be misunderstood????

Answer 1

so your Australian, a spawn of British criminals and psychopaths. Hows that doing for you? "dry wit" or just dry?

Love always,
America

Answer 2

We have a very different sense of humor than the British dry-wit, and that particular sense never seems to translate well in writing especially.
For example, the answer that you recieved of "Like they asked Did they have submarines in those days???", was most likely a joke thrown right back at you, but since we have very different styles of humor, you saw it as something totally different, and either offensive or ignorant.
See what I mean?
I will admit, many of my fellow Americans seem to have a sense of superiority sometimes, and can get very rude, but that sometimes also stems from the translation in writing.
We might think that you are being offensive to us, when really you didn't intend it to be. The same thing happens going both ways, and I see it all the time.
It's much different when you are speaking face to face, or even hearing a real voice, then the humor comes across better.
Hopefully what I explained makes sense.
-Have a good one!

Answer 3

Very perceptive observation.
Many Americans are being besieged from many quarters.
It is becoming harder to maintain a friendly outlook on life.
Enviros,.libs, Dems, high taxes, complaints and whining every where. It might be a sign that an eruption is nearing.
We can hardly make a joke anymore without someone being insulted and suing. The government is gaining more and more power. We are not used to intrusive government. 'Private property' is a joke. Instead of 'dry wit', we are experiencing 'half wits' every where. With power to mess up peoples lives.
I have often wondered how the Germans and Japanese could have turned murderous and attacked and killed their neighbors causing WWll. Maybe it was because of their lives being made miserable by their own government.
Maybe it is the 'Muslim effect' also.

Answer 4

Way to go Veraswanee ! See these Second cousins of ours ,Uncle Sams mob , do not have a clue about " Dry Wit " Instead of taking the question at face value and considering it, and having a laugh. They have to take offence. Give me our British Cousins for a sense of humour any time. No offence Folks !! Lighten up/

Answer 5

yeah ya know i just posted this question, these answers answered it... way to go morons...


http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AsIGOb_QluvsVjvXHXQK9NHsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071110001323AAlI2tT

anyhow i think it's just cultural differences, americans make long elaborate jokes that all wind up as an ending thats funny (much like jay leno or conan o'brian), where aus and brit use a sort of dry humor, something of a good intentioned insult to poke fun at something, or short lined jokes that turn out to be hillarious. due to the cultural differences americans can sometimes take things to literal, such as if you said to your friend "You twat!!!" he/she would know that you were only playing, but saying it to an american he/she might take that as a very large insult, and do the usuall badmouting of your country and the whole your on a little island nobody cares about you thing, that we see in here(other posts)

xD



regional/cultural differences i guess

Answer 6

Yes I do understand it but it might be because my Mother was from London. Some fail to see or understand the humor and take offense.

Answer 7

Absolutely... My sis and I (American born) are well known for our "snarky" sense of humor..... Many people don't "get" us.. but those that do, truly appreciate it.

Answer 8

i don't know what your talking about but have fun in north America