Watching the English

[guest3734]

Just finished reading a book called “Watching the English” written by Kate Fox - and it struck me the conversations on this board be it football or other topics are so “English” - a foreigner even if they spoke fluent English would really struggle to understand the irony, the humour, the insults and the self effacing comments - we are indeed unique.

[Bingers]

Just finished reading a book called “Watching the English” written by Kate Fox - and it struck me the conversations on this board be it football or other topics are so “English” - a foreigner even if they spoke fluent English would really struggle to understand the irony, the humour, the insults and the self effacing comments - we are indeed unique.

I'm not, I am just like the rest of them.

[guest3732]

Fack orf 

[Tabasco Kid]

Just finished reading a book called “Watching the English” written by Kate Fox - and it struck me the conversations on this board be it football or other topics are so “English” - a foreigner even if they spoke fluent English would really struggle to understand the irony, the humour, the insults and the self effacing comments - we are indeed unique.

There truly is nothing remotely close to a British sense of humour. That is one thing that no other nation can replicate. My experience of working with Johnny Foreigner has taught me that. At one point, I found myself as the only Brit amongst about 30 others on one site. Whilst a lot could speak English, they didnt quite understand what I was saying. I just used to amuse myself by reading Viz comic - The Big Hard FB Group. Really recommended for a good old chortle.
Obviously if a Scouser arrived on site, that would totally confuse everybody. 

[guest3732]

When my Dad was in the RAF we moved every 2 years or so, understanding local accents becomes 2nd nature after a while. He was from County Down and learning to communicate with his mother and various uncles was an art form. Most foreigners have no idea what we’re on about most of the time, standard English and colloquial English are two different beasts. Godda goo, th’ dug wants er walk m’duck.

[Bingers]

There truly is nothing remotely close to a British sense of humour. That is one thing that no other nation can replicate. My experience of working with Johnny Foreigner has taught me that. At one point, I found myself as the only Brit amongst about 30 others on one site. Whilst a lot could speak English, they didnt quite understand what I was saying. I just used to amuse myself by reading Viz comic - The Big Hard FB Group. Really recommended for a good old chortle.
Obviously if a Scouser arrived on site, that would totally confuse everybody. 

A Scouser? I thought you were talking about a work site, would said Scouser be lost.?


Other than that, good points, well made.


Our humourous word plays and puns are second to none.

[singcobb]

I used to speak in a quite broad Yorkshire accent, but when I started working overseas I had to train myself to speak more like a southerner so people could understand me.

[Tabasco Kid]

A Scouser? I thought you were talking about a work site, would said Scouser be lost.?


Other than that, good points, well made.


Our humourous word plays and puns are second to none.

Intentional or not, said point would be lost on anybody else, other than us Brits!
It was like the united nations at times, I just needed Boutros Boutros Ghali knocking on the door, saying that the agency had sent him.
In terms of the site, when it had settled down a bit, and some fellow Brits had arrived, we would engage in mutual humour, and the others hadnt got a clue what we were laughing about. They still had xmas cracker jokes, and were counting down the days until April 1st.

[Bingers]

Intentional or not, said point would be lost on anybody else, other than us Brits!
It was like the united nations at times, I just needed Boutros Boutros Ghali knocking on the door, saying that the agency had sent him.
In terms of the site, when it had settled down a bit, and some fellow Brits had arrived, we would engage in mutual humour, and the others hadnt got a clue what we were laughing about. They still had xmas cracker jokes, and were counting down the days until April 1st.

If Boutros Boutros was sent along so sort it out, your site have been in a bit of a state. That surprises me, I would have thought that you, Tabby, of all people, would have run a tight ship. Did Kate Adie ever come and report from there?

[Tabasco Kid]

If Boutros Boutros was sent along so sort it out, your site have been in a bit of a state. That surprises me, I would have thought that you, Tabby, of all people, would have run a tight ship. Did Kate Adie ever come and report from there?

A member of the fairer sex, wearing trousers and openly voicing an opinion on my site??  Begone with you forthwith kind sir, and please take your notions of equality elsewhere. 

[Bingers]

A member of the fairer sex, wearing trousers and openly voicing an opinion on my site??  Begone with you forthwith kind sir, and please take your notions of equality elsewhere. 

Sorry, I realise I have over stepped a line there.

[everbrite]

Sorry, I realise I have over stepped a line there.

It is only the English who are capable of the dry humour not the British. The Welsh,NI and the Scottish; certainly the Scottish don’t have a sense of humour of any kind!

[guest3732]

It is only the English who are capable of the dry humour not the British. The Welsh,NI and the Scottish; certainly the Scottish don’t have a sense of humour of any kind!

The Northern Irish are beyond dry, I grew up with one, I know!

[Larry]

It's a great book. It's not until you read it that you realise we have so many unwritten rules that must appear bizarre to those not brought up in England, let alone the nuance of our language.
 
If you want to widen out a bit, I would suggest Sapiens by Yuval Noah Hahari. It's a fantastic history of us humans


Click me for the book

[Tabasco Kid]

It's a great book. It's not until you read it that you realise we have so many unwritten rules that must appear bizarre to those not brought up in England, let alone the nuance of our language.
 
If you want to widen out a bit, I would suggest Sapiens by Yuval Noah Hahari. It's a fantastic history of us humans


Click me for the book

If you want to learn more the idiosyncrasies of the English, and their language, I would advocate the following publication.

https://www.quarto.com/books/9781916421967/viz-45th-anniversary-roger-s-profanisaurus-turtlehead-revisited

[guest3734]

It's a great book. It's not until you read it that you realise we have so many unwritten rules that must appear bizarre to those not brought up in England, let alone the nuance of our language.
 
If you want to widen out a bit, I would suggest Sapiens by Yuval Noah Hahari. It's a fantastic history of us humans


Click me for the book

I tried one of the authors observations this weekend with some first time American visitors- sat them in a pub garden and watched them start to get impatient because no table service arrived - to be honest I only kept them waiting for about 10 mins before telling them they had to go to the bar.
A bit more subtle but still very English was the fact it’s permissible to talk to strangers when you are actually at the bar but much less so to strangers in the body of the pub……

[Manwork04]

I tried one of the authors observations this weekend with some first time American visitors- sat them in a pub garden and watched them start to get impatient because no table service arrived - to be honest I only kept them waiting for about 10 mins before telling them they had to go to the bar.
A bit more subtle but still very English was the fact it’s permissible to talk to strangers when you are actually at the bar but much less so to strangers in the body of the pub……

Fûck me you sound a barrel of laughter 😂

[guest3734]

Fûck me you sound a barrel of laughter 😂

…..that would be English humour- but of course it does require a little bit of je ne sais quoi 😉