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Humor is arguably Britain's finest export. It's bold, witty, and full of puns, and can knock you out almost instantly. In fact, hands down the funniest person I know is from Manchester, England. (He also wrote for Bored Panda, so if you've been reading us for long enough, you might even know who I'm talking about.)

So let's take a closer look at the culture that molds it. Spanning across multiple social media platforms, British Memes is an online project that paints a vivid picture of what everyday life looks like in this corner of the world.

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Edward Monks
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

absolutly, the later the better. Post lunch me doesnt want to be sat working for hours and hours after eating

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English comedian Ricky Gervais, who co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the hit BBC series The Office, which was on air for two years and adapted for a U.S. series for eight seasons, thinks that a good way to describe British humor is to juxtapose it to its American counterpart.

"It's often dangerous to generalize, but under threat, I would say that Americans are more 'down the line,'" Gervais wrote in TIME. "They don't hide their hopes and fears. They applaud ambition and openly reward success."

"Brits are more comfortable with life's losers. We embrace the underdog until it's no longer the underdog. We like to bring authority down a peg or two. Just for the hell of it," Gervais explained.

"Americans say, 'have a nice day' whether they mean it or not. Brits are terrified to say this. We tell ourselves it's because we don't want to sound insincere but I think it might be for the opposite reason. We don't want to celebrate anything too soon."

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Andi
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

if British --- crisps not chips - unless its chips not fries .... simple

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Gervais thinks Brits see failure and disappointment lurk around every corner. This is due to their upbringing. While Americans are raised to believe they can be the next president, Brits are told, "It won't happen for you."

The comedian also pointed out that while irony shows up in the smarter US comedies, Americans don't use it as much socially as Brits. "We use it as liberally as prepositions in everyday speech. We tease our friends. We use sarcasm as a shield and a weapon. We avoid sincerity until it’s absolutely necessary," he said. "We mercilessly take the piss out of people we like or dislike basically. And ourselves. This is very important. Our brashness and swagger is laden with equal portions of self-deprecation. This is our license to hand it out."

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El Dee
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

School WAS terrible, it's just that work is even worse lol!

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This, Gervais has found, is sometimes perceived as nasty by the 'recipients' who aren't used to such customs, but he reassured everyone that it isn't. "It’s play fighting," he explained. "It's almost a sign of affection if we like you, and ego bursting if we don't. You just have to know which one it is."

"I never actively try to offend. That's churlish, pointless and frankly too easy. But I believe you should say what you mean. Be honest. No one should ever be offended by truth. That way you'll never have to apologize. I hate it when a comedian says, 'Sorry for what I said.' You shouldn't say it if you didn't mean it and you should never regret anything you meant to do."

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Another thing that the rest of the world may not know is that in the UK nothing and nobody is off-limits, so you will regularly see politicians being ridiculed and anybody in the public eye, including the Royal Family, is fair game.

No wonder satire is so popular in the UK. As Gervais briefly mentioned, Brits love humbling people when they get too arrogant and there have been many comedy shows dedicated to exactly this type of humor, including Have I Got News For You and Weekly Wipe.

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Daria Z
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do the same on my way back from work, but with a girl :D

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Debbie Barnes
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love island is awful. It's the kind of show that makes having root canal treatment a pleasure. Nothing to do with love and everything to do with getting a job in TV or getting a modelling career off the ground.

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But the UK has also had a number of hit sitcoms where pretty much nothing happens apart from everyday life. There are no knee-slapping moments but a lot of cringey situations when you cannot believe someone has done or said what they have.  

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These sitcoms are subtle but absurdly funny and ones worth watching are Gavin and Tracy, I'm Alan Partridge, and The Royle Family.

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Abby da great
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“Objection, your helmet— homet, excuse me…helnor—” *sits back down*

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Nathaniel
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Could they only afford a couple of tins of Heinz Spaghetti for the party?

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Laurence Thomas
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope they have good hygiene standards for preventing covid, otherwise on your last day, you'll be leaving a little hoarse.

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Cat Palmer
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I looked it up (I'm sick and have nothing better to do): they're red spider mites and are considered a pest as they kill plants, so I guess they've been killed off with insecticide. Thanks for occupying my brain with something other than how ill I'm feeling for a few minutes!

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ToGo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lugging letters and parcels around in the heat for hours (then the snow/rain/ice in winter), worried if Tyson the territorial rottweiler will actually get one of your fingers this time.... No thanks.

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Charl Marx
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be honest the "full fat" thing grates on me. My parents always call regular coke that. It's bloody sugar, not fat. And yep, my teeth definitely feel furry after drinking it!

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Benita Valdez
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ooooh. Ok thanks for saying furry because I didn't quite understand the ugg reference. My mind was like what like a pimp in a gold cap wearing uggs? Literally imagined a gold tooth in a pimp hat and uggs. But yeah, definitely furry feeling on the rare occasion I drink it

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Edda Kamphues
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sugar makes your teeth feel furry. UGG boots are Australian sheepskin-lined slippers.

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JP Purves
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wouldn't have it any other way. Diet Coke makes my teeth feel like they're dissolving.

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Hydro Keychain
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it's not sugar, it's High fructose corn syrup, and it is why everyone got fat when they started using it instead of sugar.

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Linda Redenbaugh
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t think there’s any fat in coke, just sugar. You’d have to make a coke float. (Put ice cream in it).

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Chewie Baron
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also, there is nothing better than a glass of coke from a bottle that’s been in the fridge for at least two days.

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Jai Stewart
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is, it's the half bottle that's been on the sideboard all week and gone flat

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DC
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love Cola when I eat something that has a lot of fat, so that tiny bubbles of it float on the surface. That's the absolute paramount of taste!

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Nathaniel
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It means not the diet coke or sugar free ones. Basically if it is not a diet version of something it is the full fat sort.

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DDmaybeandor
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

British culture. Idk anyone talking about drinking cider, maybe stolen liquor or beer though.

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Deborah Harris
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What's stopping her is that the lowest amount you can withdraw at a cashpoint is £5.00 :D

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jon gilbertson
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what do you consider snacks? I'm in the Midwest US. we do popcorn, chips (crisps), beef jerky. curious to what other cultures snack on.

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Laura Ketteridge
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I knew a guy who was always 23 minutes late. We ended up telling his to be places 25 minutes earlier than we were due to start. It made a serious difference, and we could start things on time.

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