Britain has brought us lots of things. Shakespeare. Fish and chips. Afternoon tea. Cucumber sandwiches. And of course, the Queen's English. But there's something else the British are super proud of: their sick sense of humor.
British humor isn’t everyone’s cuppa tea. Still, there’s no denying the Brits have produced some absolute bangers from across the pond. Mr Bean, Mrs Bucket, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Ali G, and The Office. To name but a few.
A Facebook page called “There should be a 99p coin” has over a million followers. They’re dedicated to bringing us the best Britain has to offer. Keep scrolling for a list of our favorite funnies that might make even the stiffest upper lip crack a smile.
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Tongue in cheek. And cheeky. British humor has become a brand of its own. Sarcastic, satirical and self-deprecating are just some of the words that come to mind when trying to describe it. British banter can sometimes be misconstrued as being rude. And the deadpan delivery makes it hard to tell whether a Brit is actually joking or being dead serious.
Understanding British humor is “like trying to spread cold butter on toast,” wrote the Times of India, “It’s a tricky endeavor that requires patience and, often, ends in unexpected messes”.
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U.K. comedian Ricky Gervais recently wrote a column for Time, explaining the difference between American and British humor. He was Britishly blunt. “We tease our friends. We use sarcasm as a shield and a weapon. We avoid sincerity until it’s absolutely necessary,” he said. “We mercilessly take the p*ss out of people we like or dislike basically. And ourselves. This is very important. Our brashness and swagger is laden with equal portions of self-deprecation. This is our license to hand it out.”
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Gervais has stirred up controversy a couple of times in his career. Just last year, thousands of people petitioned Netflix to remove a joke from his latest show “Armageddon”. He had offended them by poking fun at kids with cancer. Gervais took the complaints with a pinch of "I beg your pardon?"... And fobbed them off during an interview with BBC radio at the time. “Ignore them. They don’t count. They have no effect on me. They don’t count. They’re hecklers,” said Gervais.
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If British humor has a tendency to fly over your head at times, you’re not alone. Justin Bieber made headlines in 2012 when he admitted he couldn’t understand a thing British comedian Alan Carr was saying to him. “I don't get all this humor,” said a baffled Bieber. “I don't know if you're making fun of me? I just don't get the British humor."
When Carr assured Bieber he was just "taking the mickey", the Canadian star was even more confused. "Mickey, what's mickey?" But a few years later, Bieber got it. And the Belieber went viral for taking the mickey out of the British accent on this talk show.
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When it comes to understanding British banter, "half of Americans wouldn't be able to tell that a Briton is calling them an idiot". That’s according to U.K. polling company, YouGov. In 2019, they gave 1,700 Britons and 1,900 Americans a bunch of British phrases to see if they're on the same page. Or if Britain and America are indeed “two nations separated by a common language”.
It turns out British sarcasm and passive aggressiveness are lost on many Americans. When asked what "with the greatest respect" meant, nearly half of Americans interpreted it as "I am listening to you". While 68% of British people knew it to mean “you’re an idiot”.
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Some might also find their tummies grumbling if a Briton ever told them “you must come for dinner”. Most Americans took it as a sincere summons to supper and would be looking forward to the details. But 57% of Brits polled said they’re merely being polite, and it’s not an actual invitation. Best you order in, mate.
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There’s a researcher called Xuemei Chen who actually studied whether Americans appreciate British humor. They gathered 128 British and 95 American level one (basic) English speakers. The participants were shown two short snippets from two British television series. They were then asked to rate the funniest one and share their thoughts.
The study found that “American English L1 users perceived British humor as less funny and were less able to ‘get’ the ironic and sarcastic aspect of British humor than British English L1 users.” Basically, the Brits burst out laughing. The Americans were not amused.
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Much has been written about Americans and British getting lost in transatlantic translation. Some accounts are more hilarious than others. Bored Panda found this gem on BBC that we thought we’d share:
“A commenter named Brian D on Ben Yagoda’s blog, Not One-Off Britishisms, told the story of a group of British engineers from his company, sent to work at Wang Labs in Massachusetts. They were asked to attend a meeting to recognize an employee for outstanding achievement: It was announced from the stage that this person was a King in the company and so would be presented with the Wang King award. The entire British contingent had to leave the room in hysterics.”
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The British take their humor seriously. Even with a straight face. If you struggle to understand their dry wit, we have some good news for you. A group of scientists recently developed a device that detects when someone is being sarcastic. And it might be just what’s needed to bridge the barrier so that we can all laugh around the pond together.
What boggles your mind the most about British humor? Have you ever been the butt of a British joke? Let us know all about it in the comments.
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