Saturday, November 21, 2009

Over my head!

It is said that one of the last things one masters when learning a foreign language are its jokes. I know this feeling very well myself, because there are still times - even after nearly 20 years of living in Spain - when Spanish jokes go "over my head." This may be due, at times, to cultural references, or simply to a particular sense of humour, which, if not cultivated from an early age, is never fully acquired (a bit like accents, actually).

So, what I'm trying to say is don't despair if some of the references and corny jokes I make in class go "over your head." The expression is often used, as well, for subject matter that is too complex or difficult for the ordinary person to comprehend. For a nice definition of the expression, click here.
Do you "get" English jokes, or do they often go over your head? Feel free to add your comments below. ("Feel free" is a subtle way of saying, "C'mon everybody, participate!!).

6 comments:

  1. Comparing English jokes to Spanish jokes is like comparing Torrent to Monty Python's Life of Brian. I think one is more subtle while the other is more direct. I really did't know what to say... I just wanted to participate :)

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  2. I think there is no possible comparison at all between English and Spanish jokes, as Daniel said. But, to be fair with myself I must say that a lot of English jokes go over my head but those that not I think they are very bad. They don't have any humour.

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  3. Yes, indeed. Some jokes just aren't very funny (like mine?). I use them just to provoke a response.
    By the way, I think humour differs not just across languages, but also across national boundaries.
    The British sense of humour is a bit different (some would say more sophisticated) than the American sense of humour (American travel author Bill Bryson has written extensively on this).
    Pedro: in your comment above, correction: "..those that DON'T aren't humourous.

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  4. In my english literature book (I`n studying english filology) says that the expression "humor inglés" comes from the norman conquest. I mean, the normans where more cheerful than the anglosaxons that were in the island, they had a more austere culture and that's where the expression comes from.

    I don't know if this has to do with the topic of the post or not but when I read it, it came to my mind. sorry if I had bored you....

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  5. Bored us? Au contraire! This is exactly the reason why I created the blog - to give you all a chance to practice your English outside the limits of the one-day-a-week class. So, this is what I like to see - a little life on the blog.
    BTW, "au contraire" may seem French (and it is, to be sure), but it can also be found in the English dictionary.

    Diana: very interesting, your comment about the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons. For more on these two ethnic groups and their influence on the English language, I recommend you read the introduction to Walter Scott Key's "Ivanhoe."
    BTW, make sure your nouns and adjectives describing nationalities and ethnic groups begin with capital letters, eg. Normans, Anglo-Saxons, English literature, etc

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  6. I think the other day the teacher mentioned that author in class and if I remember it well he was Scottish right? but I think I have enough this semester with reading "The Canterbury Tales" and "Beowulf"(In Modern English, of course). It goes over my head! but I'm improving a lot my English because I'm the whole day reading and writing in English...(I always see the good point in things lol)

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