While Brits are known for many things, such as being very polite and loving a good queue, they are also known for their dry sense of humor. The UK has given the world many beloved comedians and comedy writers, such as Ricky Gervais, Jack Whitehall, Sarah Millican and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, but not everyone perfectly understands British humor at first glance. If you’re from another country, navigating the wit and self-deprecation can feel like learning a new language at times, but have no fear. We’ve consulted this article from Education First to help outsiders understand exactly what these tea-loving people are joking about.
As Simon at Education First notes, “The key to understanding British humor is knowing not to take yourself too seriously.” He explains that Brits make light of their failures and downfalls to appear humble, approachable and relatable, so what may sometimes be perceived as a lack of self-esteem is just a Brit tackling life with a great sense of humor.
Another common theme in British humor that can sometimes confuse foreigners is the use of sarcasm. “Wait, that was a joke?” Yes, it probably was, but only context would tell you that, as a sarcastic joke might come from a straight-faced Brit. “Sarcasm and irony are ingrained in our DNA,” Simon writes. He mentions that a few popular shows that can give you an idea of the British love of sarcasm are The Office (the original version of course), The Thick of It, and The IT Crowd. And if you ever relocate to the UK, you will certainly pick up the sarcastic sense of humor, as you’ll be surrounded by it at all times.
In the same vein, Simon writes to never take anything Brits say too seriously. “A surefire sign that a Brit likes you is if they happily ‘offend’ you with the occasional witty, tongue-in-cheek comment,” he explains. “These are not mean-spirited statements, but rather a playful exchange of verbal sparring delivered with a smiling face and no apology. It can be used to make light of differences with new friends in an attempt to spark conversation.”
And while Brits are masters at not taking life too seriously, they also have a keen ability to find humor in every single situation. “Brits use humor to lighten even the most unfortunate, miserable moments,” Simon notes. “There are few subjects we don’t joke about. It’s not used to shock and offend, but rather because Brits turn to laughter as a form of medicine when life knocks them and those around them down. Misfortune and failure are commonplace in British comedy – provided the jokes are in good taste (although ‘gallows humor’ is not uncommon). In most cultures, there is a time and place for humor. In Britain, this is not the case.”
Another aspect of comedy that Brits can’t get enough of is a good pun. In fact, they love puns so much that they even have an annual Pun Championship competition, which has been running since 2014 and is held in Leicester, England. The 2022 winner was Richard Pulsford, who provided the excellent lines, “My old Looney Tunes app still has Bugs in it," and, “Today I sent a food parcel to my first wife. Fed Ex.” After being crowned king of the pun, Pulsford spoke to Fife Today a little bit about how the competition works. “We are given a list of topics which may come up in advance, but then the topics get drawn at random on the night,” he explained.
Pulsford’s prize for winning the pun competition included a bottle of bubbly and a boxing belt that he gets to hold onto for a year, until he competes again for the title or passes it off to someone else. But regardless of whether or not he decides to defend his title, Pulsford will certainly stay active as a comedian and pun king. He recently published a book of over 600 one-liners and puns, The Punball Wizard, and travels around performing at various festivals. His book also has rave reviews on Amazon, so I’m sure his fellow Brits are very proud of him for embracing his identity and becoming a master of a beloved facet of British humor, the pun.
While British humor can be enjoyed by audiences around the world, the jokes don't always land the same way in other countries. To understand the difference between American and British humor, for example, we consulted this essay written by Paul Goodman, an Anglo-American who has lived in both the UK and the US. One thing Paul mentions is that some humor just doesn’t translate well. “Some of the British comedy that I like, my American friends just find weird and not funny,” he explains. “Likewise, some mainstream American comedy can seem way too obvious for a Brit. One of my British blogger friends described it as like being hit on the head with a rubber mallet.”
