British humour vs Russian humour

Prepared by Nina Fetisova.

British humour

Of all the characterisitcs, good and bad, for which the British are known in the outside world, their sense of humour is one of the best-known and most positively regarded.

Some characteristic of the British humour are:

Self-deprecation (saying that you are worse than you actually are; putting yourself down).

Understatement (a form of speech or disclosure which contains an expression of less strength than what would be expected.)

For example, in Monty Python`s “The meaning of life”, a suburban dinner party is invaded by

Death, who wears a long black cloak and carries a scythe. "Well," says one party guest, "that's

cast rather a gloom over the evening, hasn't it?" In another scene, an Army officer has just lost

his leg. When asked how he feels, he looks down at his bloody stump and responds, "Stings

a bit."

Irony (saying something that is in contradiction with reality).

Word playa form of wit in which the words that are used

become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement.

Examples of word play include puns, phonetic mix-ups such as spoonerisms, obscure words and meanings, clever rhetorical excursions, oddly

formed sentences, double entendres, and telling character names (such as in the play The

Importance of Being Earnest, Ernest being a given name that sounds exactly like the

adjective earnest).

- Why did the bus stop? Because it saw the zebra

crossing.

- Do you have any grandchildren?- No, all my children are

just ordinary.

Themes:Disrespect to members of the Establishnment (Monty Python`s sketch “ The Ministry of Silly Walks”)

British class system (Only Fools and Horses)

Popular trends (The IT Crowd)

Stereotypes (Little Britain)

The most popular British comedy series are:

Mr. Bean, Monty Python`s Flying Circus, Little Britain, Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses, The Office etc.

British humour is displayed in wide range of media- from plays and sitcoms to conversational jokes, and it is an important part of the British everyday life.

Russian humour

Russian humour gains much of its wit from the inflection of the Russian language, allowing for plays on words and unexpected associations. As with any other culture's humour, its vast scope ranges from lewd jokes and wordplay to political satire.

- Алле, здравствуйте, кто взял трубку?

- Здравствуйте. Я не брал!

The most popular form of Russian humour consists of jokes (анекдоQты — anekdoty), which are short stories with a punch line. Typical of Russian joke culture is a series of categories with fixed and highly familiar settings and characters. Surprising effects are achieved by an endless variety of plots and plays on words.

Drinking toasts can take the form of anecdotes or not-so-short stories, concluded with "So here's to..." with a witty punchline referring to the initial story.

A specific form of humour is chastushkas, songs composed of four-line rhymes, usually of lewd, humoristic, or satiric content.

A little boy found a machine gun —Now the village population is none.

Маленький мальчик нашёл пулемёт —Больше в деревне никто не живёт.

Apart from jokes, Russian humour is expressed in word play and short poems including nonsense and black humour verses.Often they have recurring characters such as "little boy", "Vova", "a girl", "Masha". Most rhymes involve death or a painful experience either for the protagonists or other people. This type of joke is especially popular with children.

The most popular Russian comedy shows are: KVN, Yeralash (for kids), Fitil, Anshlag, Gorodok, Comedy Club.

Than you for your attention!