We all know and love the English comedies such as Blackadder, Only Fools and Horses, Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served, Keeping up Appearances and Little Britain, to name but a few. Monty Python deserves a separate mention as it was for many the godfather of today’s comedy shows.

The British are particularly good at the piss-take, toilet humour, silly and clever humour, slapstick humour - all of them appreciated the world over. However, my research has shown there are specific types of humour integral to the English (read British) language.

Without a basic understanding of English culture, you will not truly understand or appreciate this type of humour. It is the kind of humour that is used in day-to-day conversation and often gives rise to confusion when tried out on unsuspecting foreigners. As mentioned earlier, even after many years of experience of living in England, I can still be caught out by it.

It often isn’t the laugh-out-loud kind of humour (unless they are in a ‘pack’ and they’ve tricked one of those unsuspecting foreigners), but more a moment of cleverness, which at most will generate a smile.

We have to appreciate that, again, they are not unique to the British, but it is an integral part to the way they communicate.

For this reason I have concentrated on Irony, Sarcasm, the Pun, Understatement and Self-mockery.