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The best way to understand a culture and its people is to immerse yourself in their traditions such as food, language and art.

But once you understand the local sense of humor, that’s when you know you’ve truly made it in — because what people laugh at says a lot about who they are, their values and where they come from.

Inside jokes give an exclusive peek into the culture of a place that travel guidebooks won’t usually write about.

So if you’re planning an international trip anytime soon, here are some of the funniest local jokes from around the world, straight from the people who live there.

#1

Ireland

Man in green hat and shirt holding a glass of green beer, representing local inside jokes shared by people. For many, many years, the Irish were considered the stupidest people in Europe and only good for manual labour, as a result they were the subject of many 'Paddy and Sean say/do something stupid' jokes. This one turned the tables.

Paddy goes for a job on a building site. The boss doesn't really want Paddy on the crew so decides to ask what he thinks will be a tough question for Paddy, believing Paddy will get the answer wrong and the boss can dismiss him from the site, "Paddy. What's the difference between joist and girder?" "Ah shuh now, that's an easy one." Paddy responds. "Joyce wrote *Ulysses* and Goethe wrote *Faust.*".

Historical_Stress_64 , RDNE Stock project Report

Forrest Hobbs
Community Member
6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now this, I really like. Only I'm not at all sure that the whole 'Irish are thick' business was a thing much outside England (yes, excluding Wales and Scotland - they just take the mick out of us English). I've heard, from a Norwegian, that Norway's equivalent to Irish jokes are aimed as us English. As for what the Germans think about Brits, just look up Inselaffen. And I know the French think we're as absurd as we think the French are. 😉🤣

BrunoVI
Community Member
1 hour ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As an American, I can tell you that here it used to be Polish jokes. I can tell you that they came to an abrupt end in my heavily Catholic region of the country when Pope John Paul II was elected pope. The response went from an eye-roll to a sharp admonishment! (There were probably some people who said, "A Pope from Chicago? Don't tell me they elected another Polish guy!")

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LinkTheHylian
Community Member
2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Graham Linehan is a true Irish idiot. Imagine trading all that success and your family's happiness just to keep running your mouth about something that's nothing to do with you, or affects you in any way. Unless you're exposing an actual criminal, sit down, shut up, and let people live their lives.

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    #2

    Czechia

    A man and woman in vintage clothing stand close together outdoors, illustrating local inside jokes shared by people. Here in the Czech Republic, we have a man named Jára Cimrman, who was one of the gratest poets, musicians, teachers, philosofers, authors, inventors, scientists, athletes and an misunderstood genius. But his character is completely fictional. And that's the whole point. We all pretend he was a real person, even though he wasn't. There are so many sights named after him and there is also a really famous comedy theatre group (Divadlo Járy Cimrmana) performing plays he "wrote". I think this is the most czech thing that exists, I'm curios if your country also has something similar.

    __Sigmaa__ , imdb Report

    farbenzirkel
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We do have a fictional cult figure in Germany, but he is basically the exact opposite of Jára Cimrman. While Cimrman is the 'forgotten genius' who almost invented everything, our character is Karl Ranseier. Ranseier originates from the 90s comedy show RTL Samstag Nacht (RTL Saturday Night). He was a running gag in the news segment, where he was always introduced as 'the most unsuccessful [profession] of all time.' For example, he would be described as 'the most unsuccessful lighthouse keeper of all time'—who turned off the light because it was too bright so he could sleep. Every segment ended with the news anchor solemnly announcing: 'Karl Ranseier is dead.' So, while Cimrman is a national hero of 'almost-success,' Ranseier is a national icon of 'total failure.'

    Lee Gilliland
    Community Member
    Premium
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think the only thing that comes close is "Kilroy was here."

    BrunoVI
    Community Member
    1 hour ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    King Arthur? (I'm being a troll. I believe there were TWO King Arthurs. There was an edge-of-myth, early medieval King Arthur, and then there was Arthur, son of Richard the Lionhearted, whose throne was usurped by King John on the island of Britain, but whom the continental HALF of the kingdom regarded as the legitimate king. I believe the French authors [Mallory, etc.] of Arthurian legend were trying to draw parallels between the two kings Arthur.)

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    #3

    Canada

    Igloos in a snowy landscape representing local inside jokes about cold climates shared by people worldwide. Half the things you've probably heard about Canada are just things we told the U.S. about us, just to see if they would believe it. If they ask if we live in igloos, we will say yes, and describe our life growing up on an igloo farm raising domesticated narwhals. Any other Canadian in the vicinity will immediately jump in and corroborate the story, and expand it to make it sound more ridiculous. Then we try to outdo each other to see how ridiculous we can make the story.

    BravewagCibWallace , Aleksandra Sapozhnikova Report

    DerpPlerp
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We also throw in extra "ehs" and purposely pronounce it "aboot" for good measure

    Billy Peters
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Absolutely true. It's so much fun.

    BarBeeGirl
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sometimes I think we take it too far. Like the time I saw a car with American plates drive through my city with a filled ski rack. It was August and the temp was probably 38°C

    Lotekguy
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If my countrymen visiting you then were that ignorant, I share in your joy at the joke.

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    Zig Zag Wanderer
    Community Member
    4 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is fantastic. Aussies do the same, I'm glad it's in both our cultures!

    BrunoVI
    Community Member
    1 hour ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ya mean you don't really eat breakfast at that s**t-stain of a donut shop, Tim Horton's? Please tell me you at least really do put maple syrup wherever you can!

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've heard Canada hates Elton John. When he sang "Sorry seems to be the hardest word", everyone in Canada collectively rolled their eyes and agreed it's just another way to punctuate a sentence. Just kidding, Canada! You're still part of our Commonwealth. So know your place. Kidding again!

    Inside jokes have a way of bringing people together and they are born out of shared memories or interests that outsiders have a hard time understanding at first.

    But they get even better when they’re shared by millions of people.

    "Certain cultures, for example the British from the Romantic period onward, take pride in having a special 'sense of humor' which becomes part of the national identity. That is why we have countless discussions of how the British sense of humor differs from, say, the French or Chinese sense of humor," says Salvatore Attardo, a linguistics professor at East Texas A&M University.

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    #4

    Australia

    Koala holding a tree branch in a natural setting, capturing a moment related to local inside jokes. As a joke, some of us try to convince tourists that drop bears don't exist. Nasty little things and can do some real damage with their claws.

    vacri , Snow Chang Report

    HappyMaskSalesman
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Got attacked by one of these the other day while I was out riding my kangaroo. Little bugger was too fast for my boomerang to get.

    Nikki Sevven
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Did you forget your pet huntsman at home again?

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    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why would Australians need to make up dangerous animals?

    Zig Zag Wanderer
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Amusingly, when you try to explain about vicious magpies, they don't believe you!

    DerpPlerp
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of my co-workers explained the magpies and I was shocked 😂 we have magpies in Canada too but they do not attack you like this

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    #5

    Germany

    Historic European buildings with detailed facades in a town square, illustrating local inside jokes and culture from the area. Bielefeld is non-existent, even the city of Bielefeld has offered a prize to anyone who can credibly prove the non-existence of Bielefeld.

    Wolflink_325 , SPBer Report

    Jaya
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's a parody on conspiracy theories. "Have you ever been to Bielefeld? Do you know anyone's who's from Bielefeld? See, it doesn't exist, it's a conspiracy, they WANT you to think it exists." If I remember correctly, they got the inspiration from a conversation at a party or something, where one person said they were from Bielefeld, and the other person said "Das gibt's doch nicht!" (which means something like "No way!" but literally also means something like "that doesn't exist")

    B Hobbs
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As US military stationed in what was West Germany, the largest city was "Ausfahrt".

    Intangible Panda
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I used to live in Germany. My friend who just moved to Germany and was still learning the language, once remarked on the Autobahn, "There are many ways leading to Ausfahrt" 🤣🤣🤣

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    Ravenkbh
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was there once. But when the shrooms wore off I wasn't anymore.

    Pheebs
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    US Missouri does not exist. Simpsons helped make that one popular.

    Bertha Madott
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But I always thought my late auntie was really from Bielefeld!?!?

    sturmwesen
    Community Member
    21 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    nope, just like pigeons it's a lie.my BFs godmother surd doesn't live in Bielefeld either

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    #6

    United States Of America

    Person wearing clown makeup stretching a smile, symbolizing local inside jokes shared by people in informal outdoor setting. Florida man, tho it's been exported to an extent. I dont think passing observers understand how insane most Florida man stories are.

    Edit: here's a fun thing, look up florida man and your birthday. There'll be something wild.

    Hot-Minute-8263 , Jhefferson Santos Report

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The most insane Florida Man stories always come from Mar-a-Lago.

    Lotekguy
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's a special subspecies of anecdote. Most Florida Man stories are relatively harmless, or limited in scope. The doofus is often the only victim. Mar-A-Lago Man escapades spread the damage far and wide, and the perpetrator never suffers the consequences.

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    Pheebs
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fun fact, Florida man/woman are not actually always from Florida. For some reason if it happens in Florida it’s instantly Florida Man.

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Florida" is not a location - it's a state of mind. Or rather, the lack of one.

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    Joseph Clement
    Community Member
    52 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    September 17- 52-year old man arrested for sneaking under tables and smelling women’s feet

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    Sometimes these jokes become global — if you are one of those who Googled their birth dates and “Florida Man,” you know what I’m talking about.

    What started in local news, has grown into a well‑known global cultural reference. And people from Florida are far from offended.

    So much so, that the residents there have organized games and celebrations around the joke in recent years.

    This shows that inside jokes can also become a source of pride or shared identity for the locals.

    If you haven’t heard about it, “Florida Man” memes come from local news stories about men from Florida doing something unusual or odd — often criminal activities. These stories can range from alligator encounters to bizarre robberies in this US state, and they're all real-life incidents.

    The weirder a story is, the more chances are there of it going viral around the world.

    #7

    England

    Man in blue suit leaning against wall with hand on forehead, reflecting on local inside jokes and humor. "I blame Toby Blair" or "That's Thatcher's Britain for you" is often said in England in response to literally any problem (e.g. dropping a biscuit).

    LongCharles , Nicola Barts Report

    Forrest Hobbs
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Er, almost. That'd be Tony Blair. Although these days, it seems everything gets blamed on Keir Starmer, even when the problems were mostly originated by Mrs T and worsened by bl00dy David Cameron. (no, really - Mrs T started the wrecking of the nation with her mad ideology, and Cameron - a Thatcher acolyte - picked the austerity route in response to the financial crisis which was exactly the opposite of what the country needed, delivering us to the current mess. Oh yes. And Lettuce Truss.)

    Norfolk and good
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't know why. I don't think Keir is that bad. A bit boring maybe, but at least he's not a complete lunatic like some world leaders.

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    Norfolk and good
    Community Member
    4 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't forget the "it's all political anyway" and "they all just vote for their neighbours" whenever the UK doesn't do well at Eurovision rather than it being because the songs are poor. Many of us have taken to saying null point in a French accent to demonstrate coming last in something.

    MoBeLa
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The sarcastic equivalent in the U.S. is “Thanks, Obama."

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    #8

    Canada

    World map showing time zones across countries, related to the theme of people sharing local inside jokes globally. The world will end at 12:00pm on Thursday.

    12:30 in Newfoundland.

    Newfoundland is in its own time zone (UTC -3:30), which results in many national radio broadcasts in Canada being announced as occurring at a given time “and half an hour later in Newfoundland”.

    magwai9 , Heitordp Report

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    30 extra minutes to live if I'm in Newfoundland? You know what? I'm good.

    Andy Frederick
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's a beautiful place. My wife is from there, and we've been all over the island. (Also, you'll be wishing you were there when the zombie apocalypse happens. Low population and it's an island.)

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    Experts say that shared jokes act sort of like cultural glue.

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    If you meet a stranger in your own country and don’t know what to talk about, inside jokes are the perfect ice-breakers — they can help you make new friends.

    #9

    Czechia

    Young man wrapped in a blanket, sneezing into a tissue, capturing a relatable moment of local inside jokes humor. That one time our (now ex-)president almost threw up at St. Wenceslas crown. He was drunk as f and his spokesman told the press "he had a flu", so now sometimes "having a flu" means being wasted/hangover.

    lesnibubak , cottonbro studio Report

    Forrest Hobbs
    Community Member
    6 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Here in the UK, it's 'tired and emotional' - at least for those of us who read Private Eye. 'It was popularised by the British satirical magazine Private Eye in 1967 after being used in a spoof diplomatic memo to describe the state of Labour cabinet minister George Brown' - George Brown being infamous for, erm, his lack of sobriety...

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Charles Kennedy was also often tired and emotional.

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    Roester
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It’s called the bottle flu.

    StPaul9
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Australia to top you: Our ex-prime minister crapped himself in the carpark of a McDonalds in the suburb of Engadine. Cronulla (the local NRL rugby team) won the Premiership and he was a fan. He was there in celebration and yeah...

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    Since some jokes are usually language-specific and linked to clever wordplay or puns, it always helps to approach a local to make sense of them.

    And if you are a local, you shouldn’t think that explaining your joke will ruin the punchline — it can spark intercultural learning and help your friend from another country feel more at home.

    Attardo, one of the leading scholars in humor research, says: "There aren’t really any forms of humor that are impossible to get outside of a country. At most, some styles are more popular in some countries than others. For example, the British seem to prefer understatements to exaggerations."

    Jokes often give us clues about stereotypes and social issues as well.

    #10

    Ireland And Scotland

    Young man laughing and pointing, capturing the joy of local inside jokes shared among people in a casual setting. Yer da sells avon.

    anon , whoiswasiq Report

    Jaya
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This one could use some explanation, looking at the original post on Reddit didn't clear it up for me.

    Zig Zag Wanderer
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Your dad sells Avon, which is a cosmetics line. Presumably questioning his masculinity.

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    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Aye? Yer da's been claiming social since ye were a wee bairn! Get ta f**k!

    #11

    France

    Chocolate chip croissant in a white box, a popular treat shared in local inside jokes and funny food moments. I do not know how much known it is outside of France, but there is a joke argument about whether chocolate croissant is called "pain au chocolat" or "chocolatine". The truth is that it depends on the region, as the south-west calls it "chocolatine" and most of the rest of France "pain au chocolat", plus some other names less used in the north/north-east. The joke is to stubbornly stick to whatever your region's term is and to adamantly refuse to recognise any of the other names.

    AxanArahyanda , Valeria Boltneva Report

    Kelly H. Wilder
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ah, now I understand Multa's reply on an earlier post!

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    #12

    Ireland

    Man lying in bed with tape on his face and a wire hanging from his nose, part of funny local inside jokes shared online. I just heard that DJ Carey was sentenced to five years.

    I didn't even know he'd been charged.

    DJ Carey is a famous irish hurler (irish sport)

    He also ean a scam raising money to pay for his cancer treatment when he wasnt really sick. This included sharing g a now famous picture of him 'in hospital' with a phone charger up his nose

    LittleStoneBear , Kiwi_Woz Report

    #13

    New Zealand

    A small coastal village with a church and cliffs, illustrating people sharing their local inside jokes. In Aotearoa New Zealand 'Waikikamukau' refers to (the concept of) a small rural town. It's pronounced roughly "Why kick a moo cow". It doesn't actually exist.

    fauxmosexual , Gantas Vaičiulėnas Report

    Warren Hazelton
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That would be "Podunk" in the U.S.

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What part of The Shire is that in?

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    #14

    Germany

    Black and white photo of a man with glasses and a mustache representing local inside jokes humor. We have Jakob Maria Mierscheid, a member of the Bundestag for the SPD since 1979. This person doesn't exist. It's a fictional character who nevertheless keeps appearing in documents, references, and lists. He's often criticized in the Bundestag for missing sessions again, or he receives birthday wishes.

    Mean_Wear_742 , DDP Report

    #15

    Spain

    Young woman in denim jacket sitting indoors, appearing thoughtful with reflection on the window, capturing local inside jokes vibe. In Spain, when someone is daydreaming, or with the head in the clouds, we say "estar en Babia" (to be in Babia).

    Babia is a region in the province of León. In the Middle Ages, the Kings of León used to go to this region to take a break. When in Babia, they weren´t attending to any issues, so when they said "The King is in Babia" they meant that he wasn't going to pay attention to them. The term became generalized to all people who are distracted and not paying attention.

    ErSesa , Juan Pablo Serrano Report

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    #16

    Poland

    Religious leader in ceremonial attire speaking at a microphone with local inside jokes shared by people in the background. 2137- our funny number.

    jwrsk:

    The exact time John Paul II passed away was 9:37 PM, some folks in Poland decided it was a holy hour, some folks decided it was a meme. The meme won.

    Nano_needle , Gregorini Demetrio Report

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sorry, it can't be holy unless EVERY Pope dies at the same time.

    #17

    Portugal

    Construction workers actively building a concrete structure at a large urban site, illustrating local inside jokes about teamwork. I went to Poland for my studies and made a joke about Portuguese people that were house builder. Absolutely nobody of my polish, italian or spanish friend get the joke. And I recently learn that in our history Portuguese people went to France as immigrants and choose (I dont really know why) to work mostly as house builder or in the building construction.

    Th3AnT0in3 , Davide Locatelli Report

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Never hire a builder from the American mid-west. Bunch of cowboys...

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    #18

    United States Of America

    Bearded man laughing while holding glasses, captured in a candid moment reflecting local inside jokes and humor. In the upper Midwest we have these two guys, Ole and Sven, who appear in various stories where they get blue-collar jobs and mess them up in very funny ways, such as by burying entire telephone poles when told to dig holes and put the poles in them.

    EDRootsMusic , Mikhail Nilov Report

    #19

    Switzerland

    People walking on a misty train station platform under large arched roof at night, capturing local inside jokes atmosphere. The town of Olten: There is a nationwide inside joke about the town of Olten, often described as an uninteresting place where people just pass through on the train. The humor comes from the shared understanding of its mundane reputation as a major railway hub.

    LudosBT , Vasile Cotovanu Report

    Forrest Hobbs
    Community Member
    6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you're a Brit: Crewe. Where all the trains change...

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Crewe reminds me of Newcastle. The best view of both is the one you see while leaving.

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    #20

    Ireland

    Man in blue suit rubbing eyes sitting at desk, reflecting on local inside jokes shared by people, looking stressed. Our former Taoiseach (prime minister), went on national radio at the time of the financial crisis with a horrific hangover/possibly still pised, and it was attributed to him "being congested". Ever since then, it's a euphemism for being really hungover

    notalottoseehere , Curated Lifestyle Report

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "I came back from the Guinness factory feeling congested."

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    #21

    France

    Young man laughing indoors surrounded by plants, capturing people sharing their local inside jokes and humor. 🇫🇷 "Where is Brian?"

    cheese_McDoogles:

    Sorry Frenchbros, I'm going to let strangers in on the joke and ruin its inside-ness: "Where is Brian? Brian is in the kitchen." is France's stock phrase/exchange to sarcastically demonstrate English proficiency much in the same way that "¿Dónde está la biblioteca?" is America's stock-phrase to sarcastically demonstrate Spanish proficiency

    D**kcheese_McDoogles , Collins Lesulie Report

    John Stevenson
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wow ist Peter? Peter es putzen das auto?

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Everyone join in! Dónde está la biblioteca? Me llamo T-Bone, la araña discoteca.

    Zig Zag Wanderer
    Community Member
    3 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not heard this. Perhaps it's from after I lived there (80s)

    #22

    Sweden

    Bellman.

    LordOfDorkness42:

    Context for none Swedes: There's an entire joke structure that turns one of our most historically important bards into basically Swedish Chuck Norris, but a lot grosser and dumber. And usually very verbose for a joke.

    Example joke, translation from memory, me:

    A Norwegian, A German and a Bellman was out walking, when they met a terrible giant.

    "I shall challenge you to challenge me!" The Giant bellowed at them. "Grant me an impossible task, or I shall eat you!"

    The three men were terrified, but saw no other way out. So the Norwegian went first.

    "Race around the world!" The Norwegian said.

    But the Giant was mighty indeed. And he did so in a single leap. And then he gobbled up the Norwegian in just a few, horrible bites.

    The two men were now even more terrified, but tried to stay brave.

    "Jump around Jupiter" The German screamed.

    But the Giant was mighty indeed. And he swiftly raced around Jupiter. And then he gobbled up the German in just a few, horrible bites.

    Bellman was so terrified, he let out a great, and horrible fart.

    "Chase down that fart!" Bellman shouted. "And paint it green!"

    The giant ran off. And never came back.

    Beginning-Case6180 Report

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    #23

    Germany

    The entirety of German humor is an injoke nobody seems to get, to the point where everyone thinks we don't have humor at all.

    NaCl_Sailor Report

    Zig Zag Wanderer
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The fact that you don't, is the joke, however. Like any good plot twist.

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    #24

    Chile

    A group of friends sharing local inside jokes and laughing together in a cozy living room setting. The first line in the national anthem of Chile says, pure chile with your skys blue... But it also sounds pure Chile with heaven by your side. Argentina is by Chile. They hate each other.

    It's how the language is.

    Puro Chile con sus cielos azulados. (Blue sky's)
    Puro Chile con sus cielos a su lados. (Heaven is next door)

    They sound exactly the same.

    Emotional-Complex423 , Vitaly Gariev Report

    BrunoVI
    Community Member
    1 hour ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We're always asking Mexicans if they can see us. (Jose, can you see...?) (If you're not American, our national anthem begins, "O, say, can you see...?" The entire first stanza, the only one anyone knows, is the completion of that question.)

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    #25

    Sweden

    Female reporter holding microphone outside, sharing local inside jokes during a recorded interview in a residential area. Nej... Nej, jag tror faktiskt inte det.

    ("No... No, I don't think so." Quote from the king after being asked by a journalist whether he'd been to the local strip club).

    Justarandomduck15q2 , cottonbro studio Report

    Zig Zag Wanderer
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is sometimes difficult to remember....

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, was it the local one or the one across town?

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    #26

    Brazil

    A group of indigenous people standing near traditional thatched huts surrounded by lush greenery, illustrating local inside jokes. 🇧🇷 We have a joke about a state in Brazil (Acre)where dinosaur's still alive, kind of 'Flintstone' vibe. Just because it is far away from everything and we never see too much news about it.

    RTSHayashi , Agência de Notícias do Acre Report

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The inspiration for Islas Sorna y Nublar?

    #27

    Denmark

    Highway exit sign in German with mountainous landscape, illustrating local inside jokes shared by people. Every Dane knows that Ausfahrt is the biggest city in Germany!
    PipBin:
    Genuine story. My dad, English, was in Germany visiting a friend. All the German he knows is how to order a beer (and do you really need to know more?). The friend collected him and my mum from the airport and drove them home. When the got to his friends small town he couldn’t understand how this small town had signs all along the motorway. Mum, who speaks some German, asked what he meant. He said that they had seen signs for Ausfarht all the way from the airport and where they had turned off...
    Corfiz74:
    "Ausfahrt", from the German word "ausfahren"="to drive out"

    Appelons , Craig Wyzik Report

    Rastilabo
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not to be confused with Infart, Sweden

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    #28

    Netherlands

    Man holding a coffee mug with a funny local inside joke, smiling while working on a laptop at home. A very recent one here is "Ik heb daar geen actieve herinnering aan." ( "I have no active memory of that". ).

    It was a phrase used by Prime Minister Mark Rutte (current head of NATO) several times, where he'd essentially refuse to answer critical questions instead claiming he had no memory of it.

    By now it's a staple sentence here, it's in one of our biggest dictionaries (Dikke van Dale), it's on mugs, on T-shirts. It's both a bit of an inside joke and a figure of speech that people outside of The Netherlands will not know the origins of.

    Robert_Grave , nietmokken.nl Report

    Jaya
    Community Member
    5 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I never quote "I have a dream" or "yes we can" or any other inspiring political quotes. But I quote "Ik heb er geen actieve herinnering aan" at least once a month 😄 It's just such a fun thing to say ("Hey, you promised you were gonna do the dishes yesterday!" - "Who, me? No, I don't have an active memory of that at all 😇"). It became a very popular expression in the Netherlands, because it's absolutely insane for a politician to try to get away with lying about super important stuff by saying "I didn't lie, I just didn't remember".

    Zig Zag Wanderer
    Community Member
    3 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My local MP once denied that he had been given a very expensive bottle of wine as a gift ($6,000?). Receipt for said wine and thankyou letter was produced. He had to resign. If the idiot had just said this phrase, he would have been fine. Fatty O'Barrel (as we called him), NEVER deny, just say you don't recall! He was actually quite a good MP, too.

    #29

    United States Of America

    Vintage black and white illustration of a farmer in a forest clearing, related to local inside jokes shared by people. Johnny Appleseed was a real man and the stories about him generally follow his real life but so many embellishments and folk tales have grown up around him a lot of people believe he is totally fictional.

    It also kind of reminds me of chuck norris jokes.

    norecordofwrong , Unknown author Report

    BrunoVI
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Paul Bunyon, on the other hand, did not exist. Also a fun fact: When Johnny Appleseed roamed Kentucky, it was called "Transylvania," a long with a chunk of Tennessee.

    Kelly H. Wilder
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Also, the stories we learn about him as children omit that the purpose of John Chapman's apples was for making hard cider. Alcohol was safer to drink than some water.

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    #30

    United States Of America

    Man in a suit speaking at a wooden podium, sharing local inside jokes with an audience in a dimly lit room. If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.

    (Actually I'm not sure if non-US people would know this and an am genuinely curious if they do.).

    KaijuicyWizard:

    Johnny Cochrane (sp?) during the OJ trail, right? I’m a Brit but it’s been pretty referenced throughout a lot of sitcoms etc over the years I reckon

    vegasbywayofLA , The Archivists @ pflegerarchives.org Report

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Who doesn't know about one of the most infamous murderers getting off scott free and being the reason the late, great Norm MacDonald was fired from SNL? And I say that as a Brit.

    Norfolk and good
    Community Member
    5 hours ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Yes, we know about OJ and the famous trial on the other side of the Atlantic. It got a lot of attention by the media over here. OJ visited London after his trial to much publicity and did an interview on Richard and Judy, who were the most popular chat show hosts in the UK at the time.

    #31

    France

    Three men in formal attire posing together, illustrating the concept of local inside jokes shared among people. There are a lot of jokes in France based on the TV comedy sketch from "Les Inconnus" (3 guys playing together) that were incredibly successful in the 1990s (to the point where I think that 25 years later, nobody has been as funny as them in French since.

    The most famous one is "Le bon chasseur, il voit quelque chose qui bouge, il tire, le mauvais chasseur, il voit quelque chose qui bouge, il tire, mais c'est pas la même chose" translating as "When a good hunter sees something moving, he has to shoot, when a bad hunter sees something moving, well, he has to shoot, but that's totally different."

    It is a quite funny and deep reflection on how our judgements and norms are sometimes hypocritical and arbitrary.

    soyonsserieux , Georges Biard Report

    Lee Gilliland
    Community Member
    Premium
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is, sadly, something that doesn't translate well but is hysterical.

    Zig Zag Wanderer
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To me, the final phrase really means that not the same thing happens. That might make the joke a bit more clear?

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    #32

    France

    Belgium flag waving on flagpole against a clear blue sky representing local inside jokes and culture. Pretty sure no one understands Belgium.

    abrequevoy , aboodi vesakaran Report

    Danielle
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I see what you're doing Title Writer! Would have been funnier if that was the German flag.

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have in-laws that are Belgian, and no, I don't.

    #33

    United Kingdom

    Pizza Express restaurant exterior on a city street, illustrating a local inside joke shared by people in the area. I cannot sweat, I was at a pizza express in woking.

    TH3-P4TI3NT , bob walker Report

    Forrest Hobbs
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's a reference to the Andrew formerly known as Prince. BBC interview - very sad.

    #34

    United Kingdom

    You have no authority here, Jackie Weaver.

    Ochib Report

    Forrest Hobbs
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A viral on-line council meeting. Look up Jackie Weaver if you must know. Apparently, she really didn't have any authority, but it didn't stop her disconnecting the troublemaker.

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    #35

    Indonesia

    We live in either Konoha country or Wakanda.

    WhisperFray Report

    David Paterson
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I had to look this up. Konoha and Wakanda are fictional places from Naruto and Black Panther. By criticising the government of Konoha or Wakanda you can't be arrested for criticising the Indonesian government.

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Who could criticise T'Challa? Dude is a saint!

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    #36

    United States Of America

    In America we pretend Wyoming doesn’t exist and/or everything is Ohio.

    Quick_Extension_3115 Report

    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Meanwhile the rest of the world pretends the U.S. doesn't exist.

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Ohio is just closet space that never made it to New York." - Jack Paar

    BrunoVI
    Community Member
    1 hour ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I referenced this above, but I cited North Dakota. (The joke being that there was a conspiracy to make TWO Dakotas when no-one could possibly use more than one.) On the other hand, given the existence of so many states, before formal education was the norm and everyone knew every state, it was common to make up states by improperly combining parts of states' names, like Missitucky, the setting of Finian's Rainbow. However, given the fact that the straight borders of states were often drawn right through early settlements, many cities' names are also mash-ups of state names, like Texhoma, Texico, Delmar, Marydel, Pennmar, Michiana, etc. Texarkana is even three states! (Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana)

    Pheebs
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Missouri too. Or just refer to Missouri as Misery.

    #37

    Canada

    "Sauf une fois au chalet" > "except that one time at the cabin." It's used jokingly to claim that doing a bad thing doesn't count if it was just once, and it was at a cabin in the woods.

    References a famous court case where an old guy who was accused of SAing his daughters vehemently denied hurting his daughters, he swore he never ever touched them...(long pause, then adds more quietly, as if just remembering)... except that one time at the cabin.

    sapristi45 Report

    BrunoVI
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "At camp" even became immortalized as "this one time, in band camp...."

    Jaya
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's very different, but it reminds me a bit of the "except for the slavery stuff", from the Daily Show interviews with MAGA people. If a time back then was great except for slavery, then it wasn't really great was it? It's become a staple expression at my home, for when someone overlooks or forgets to mention 1 "detail" that's actually a majorly important part of the story.

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    #38

    Sweden

    The gays (derogatory) are to blame.

    WodLndCrits Report

    Aroace tiger (she/they/he)
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's something I'd ironically say as a queer individual...

    Zig Zag Wanderer
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think that's the only group who could get away with this, outside of Sweden perhaps, anyway.

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    LinkTheHylian
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well we know where Alex Jones got his "they're turning the frogs gay!" idea from.