You know I like Americans! but there is one thing that really gets up my nose about them!! the way they keep referring to the UK as England!! especially seeing as the Big Yin is Scottish ,now going on that way of thinking they must think Scotland is in England? ....Time to update your geogeaphy and history books guys!!!
I think they all read this comment, they've almost caught on, but it needs an update in case they're still reading. They do call it Britain now, but we've a new problem. According to them, now "British accent," just means English accent. You're a Brit too, I see that. Would you be able to do a general "British" accent? Some bizarre mix of received dialects of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh... It's an English accent, ye daft cunts! The accents vary within any _one_ of the British countries more than in the entire Continental US! Travel the 88 miles from York to Newcastle, the accent changes more than it does between New York and California! That's opposite coasts of a continent! British accent in-fucking-deed.
I think, even in 1992 America, the Homeless was not something to joke about on a prime time TV show, even if it was just witty observations like Billy was making. The bad stuff in America and its underbelly was not really discussed, an unwritten no-go area, prime time maintained the veneer of the great wealth of America where all Americans are living the dream.
@ScottishNonBeliever Thank you! it is quite sad that most americans don't understand that. except for those of us that watch UK television such as me, and are huge fans of Frankie Boyle and Kevin Bridges. anyway I hope to visit Scotland soon. cheers!
the presenter doesn't seem to unerstand the United Kingdom is one entity, and that Billy is huge in the UK not just England. Even when Billy talks about "in Brtitain" and "british television", the presenter is still talking about the English.
I'm a big fan of Stephen Fry, his description of how Alan plays is great, he "rushes headlong like a puppy into the wall of ignorance." The whole thing works very well
Numenorean17, that is the most brilliantly obscure rationalization I have ever read! It's a misdirect, an anti-joke. A "why did the chicken cross the road" type of thing. But once you have to explain a joke, it's never funny. The teddy roosevelt thing, however, is universally hilarious :)
nah i think every american knows scotland and england are different countries, most americans just call the whole of britain england for some reason, but on that same note it kind of pisses off other countries in the americas when people call people from the states americans since it technically applies to them as well
@ScottishNonBeliever I'm an american and I know that. Though I do agree that most of them are quite ignorant when it comes to understanding the UK, and I find that rather annoying, ecspecially because its not that hard of a consept to see that there are 3 countries on Great Britain. anyway, we are out there, which is why I complained about the presenter being ignorant.
Yes, but I do recall the book mentioned being quoted as a source during history classes way back at school. That QI episode just freshened my memory. It is an awfully good program isn't it?
the thursday joke, i think may be to do with theodore rosevelt, on a thursday in 1909 he went out in a swamp in africa when a dozen hippomtomus attacked his boat attempting to tip it over after shooting 2 dead the rest retreated... this is really the only think i can think of that would relate to this joke
To be fair, the construct of the geography of the UK is a bit weird to the United States. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country, which has Great Britain and Northern Ireland... Great Britain is an island which contains Scotland, Wales, and England... which are... regions?... No, constituent countries... which are somewhat self-governed? I used to date an English girl that thought the counties (ex. Surrey) in England were actually countries. Confusing even to her.
Billy trying to break America was I guess a half success. His delivery works much better against a reserved interviewer. Parkinson , Clive James , etc… For me his stand up body of work is the finest of any living comedian anywhere in the world.
@@jamiecook4288 what it means is.he could've said any day of the week.cos they were comfortable in the nice cool water.when everything else were suffering in the heat lol
I'd say that most folks would probably know that, I would have thought it was given that Americans would to, what with Roswell being there and all the fame it's attracted!
Well uptil relatively recently, before the resurgance of Scotish nationalism, Britain was known as England. Hence books such as "The Oxford History of England" which is actually entirely about Britain.
It wasn't known as that by anyone with a scintilla of knowledge. Scottish nationalism had nothing to do with it. The aforementioned publication came out in 1936 and, even then, raised a few eyebrows
@@Cruithneach If you watch a lot of British war films you will find Britain is England and England is Britain.Eg watch the battle the river plate and listen at the start.
@@johnfitzpatrick4007 I watched *I Was Monty's Double* yesterday and it didn't do that, but films generally and war films particularly often veer from accuracy with monotonous regularity
God, billy was so out of place in those days. I lived in Canada when he did this, I watched this on tv at the time. He just isnt himself. By the way, Britain isnt England as they call it in the States.
