Humour vs Humor

(from 2014)

I was invited to give a talk at a Sunday meeting in one of the historical centers I visited. It was an interesting experience, and ultimately pleasurable.

I spent a lot of my time trying to translate in my head what expressions used by Brits would be complete unintelligible to many Americans. And I had to navigate the murky waters of humor – or as we Brits would say – humour.

I like using a bit of humor in such talks, if it fits. I am not there as an entertainer, but in its place it can keep people awake, and they may remember humorous illustrations that hopefully allow them to remember the serious point being illustrated! Hopefully.

I had been told by Brits now living in the States what to do and what to avoid. I found that broad humor went down very well – whereas understatement and “dry” humor went over many people’s heads. I am forever getting into trouble with American correspondents who cannot always understand British humor. We use exaggeration and hyperbole, and perhaps even more so – the converse, understatement. Some people have been known to take me literally and then get cross! And I hadn’t meant to sound unpleasant. Honest. 

I think the Brits understand American humor better. That’s because of the onslaught of Hollywood. We have been deluged with America culture for rather a long time. It doesn’t need translating. We understand it.

However, whenever a hit British TV series takes off, it has to be remade for America because the original would be unintelligible to swathes of the population. And before any American reader leaps to the defence, that is not meant as a criticism. Americans are entitled to use words as they wish, as are the Brits – it is just that we sometimes use the same words, er – differently. It is just a fact. I learned it by hard experience.

So I did the anecdote about the logical conclusion of what would have happened if the apostles Paul and Peter had joined the military of the day – Paul joining the Roman army (as fellow countryman Josephus more or less did) and throwing a spear up to the battlements, where – dodging the spear would be the apostle Peter – ardent Jewish nationalist – let’s kick all the Romans out – dodging the spear while thoughtfully pouring boiling oil all over the apostle Paul... Was that the audience’s mental picture of the apostles? That went well. I did the one about getting mugged in the city of “brotherly love” – for those who know their Greek, that’s “philia” and “delphos” or Philadelphia. Perhaps not the best choice when speaking in Pennsylvania, but hey - I got out alive.

Anyhow, they “loved my accent.” And some of it was quite serious and spiritual. Really. But this blog is not the platform for it.