Comments on: Polish Sense of Humor or Lack Thereof

By: magdaLena

magdaLena — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:21:19 +0000

Hi, I’m Polish and I think sense of humour depends only on the personality, character of that particular person. You will laugh at something stupid and funny for you but other people won’t. There is no rule, but all in all I think that we have a great sense of humour, especially when we meet with our close friends, because then we feel that we can say whatever we want to.

By: ola

ola — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 08:00:28 +0000

The Broad/Doctor joke – God! How does one explain…?!
Humour is so complex. A good line, and, above all, punch-line lies in the delivery and the delivery is as much about rhythm and timing as content. You can tell the same joke and it will land flat unless you punctuate it just right.
Poszla baba do lekarza is a play on this. Though it’s so hard to explain, we all feel instinctively when something lands right and when it dosen’t. The “baba” joke became so popular because, even though it’s completely surreal, you simply can’t get it wrong. The whole joke is simply one perfectly timed punch line. It’s not funny because of any sexist undertone, it just “sounds” funny. It “lands” just right.
If there’s one conclusion to be made it’s that the Polish sense of humor is often based on the surreal – and that’s something we share with the Brits. It is also why Monty Python has always been hugely successful in Poland.

By: Thomas Cremers

Thomas Cremers — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:23:10 +0000

Of course they have a sense of humor! My wife is Polish and she decided to marry me, if that’s not good for a laugh I don’t know what is.

I visit Poland every 2 months I meet up with friends and go to my Polish language course in Wrocław. We have loads of laugh and find my self hardly ever wondering what the joke was about as foreigner (I’m Dutch).

By: russ

russ — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:18:38 +0000

Seriously? That’s the joke? Just a sexist joke about how wacky and funny it is that a doctor might be a woman?

By: Ina

Ina — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:04:49 +0000

It’s funny because the word “doctor” in Polish is masculine. And although it is used for both sexes, the first thought that comes to mind is that the doctor would be a man. That’s all there is to it. Hope that helps.

By: A. P.

A. P. — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:04:20 +0000

Ok, thanks, glad to hear I’m not missing out on something!

Although if you were to say, “A broad went to the doctor, but the doctor was abroad” it could become a sort of groanworthy pun…

By: Anna

Anna — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:01:16 +0000

A.P.,
that’s the famous “poszła baba do doktora, a doktor też baba.” And to be honest, out of the many “poszła baba do doktora” jokes, this one I have to say, I don’t get either.
I’ve been asked to explain this joke before, and I never know what to say, though this translation “A broad went to the doctor, and the doctor’s broad, too” seems to make some people laugh. But that’s not what it says in the Polish version…
But it’s the same with most jokes, they tend to be very country-specific.

By: A. P.

A. P. — Sun, 03 May 2009 12:17:34 +0000

I’m a student of Polish, and I remember a joke that some Polish acquaintances told me which I totally didnt get, something like “the women went to the doctor but the doctor was a woman”. It seemed to crack them up, but I did not and do not understand it. If you know of this joke, could it be explained?

Thanks

By: khrystene

khrystene — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:32:16 +0000

Poles have a fabulous sense of humour, it just doesn’t always translate well, like English humour to Poles. It’s very dark and based on real life, which is why I like it so much.

I do find though that we can be incredible whingers when it comes to the public arena, and far too often lack in humour when someone is criticising something Polish, even if it’s something we complain about on a daily basis. I think it comes down to low national self-esteem.

If only Polish films had (good or ANY) subtitles, then perhaps the rest of the world would come to understand the Polish psyche a little better… and even like it!

By: Thomas F. Westcott

Thomas F. Westcott — Fri, 01 May 2009 07:54:29 +0000

Anna,

Try this pun:

Biały broń jest nie biały.

Być może czerwony jak krew
Być może głęboko niebo granatowy
Być może bardzo wypolerowany
Być może czarny jak zimno serce
Ale nigdy jest biały broń biały.
Thomas