--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even the English, who understand it, are…" description: "\"“Even the English, who understand it, are not exactly riotously amused by the understatement. At best, a well-timed, well-turned understatement only ra..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/kate-fox-29910_quote_even-the-english-who-understand-it-are-n_1335629.jpg" --- # Even the English, who understand it, are not exactly… ![“Even the English, who understand it, are not exactly riotously amused by the understatement. At best, a well-timed, well-turned understatement only raises a slight smirk.” quote by Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/kate-fox-29910_quote_even-the-english-who-understand-it-are-n_1335629.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/kate-fox-29910_quote_even-the-english-who-understand-it-are-n_1335629.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/kate-fox-29910_quote_even-the-english-who-understand-it-are-n_1335629.jpg) > ““Even the English, who understand it, are not exactly riotously amused by the understatement. At best, a well-timed, well-turned understatement only raises a slight smirk.”” [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understatement can be witty but often only elicits a mild smile rather than loud laughter. **In simple terms:** Understatement is subtly funny. Key Takeaway Use understatement sparingly for effect. Themes humor communication culture Mood lighthearted observational Type cultural humorous When to use this quote - social gatherings - public speaking - writing - media commentary Key Concepts British humor subtlety Questions to Reflect On - When does understatement enhance a point? - How can you gauge audience reaction? A Different Perspective May be missed by audiences unfamiliar with the context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amused Understatement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amused-understatement-4496306/) [English](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english/) [Slight Smirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slight-smirk-4496305/) [Smirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smirk/) [Understatement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understatement/) [Understatement Raises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understatement-raises-4496307/) ## Related quotes > [The understatement is the English contribution to comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-davis/the-understatement-is-the-english-contribution-to-comedy/) [Jim Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-davis/) > [“The reasons for our prolific understating are not hard to discover: our strict prohibitions on earnestness, gushing, emoting and boasting require almost constant use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/the-reasons-for-our-prolific-understating-are-not-hard-to-discover/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [“The understatement rule means that a debilitating and painful chronic illness must be described as ‘a bit of a nuisance’; a truly horrific experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/the-understatement-rule-means-that-a-debilitating-and-painful-chronic/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [However old-fashioned and right-wing this may sound, the American genius for language lies in understatement, in saying things simply, pointedly and quickly, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/however-old-fashioned-and-right-wing-this-may-sound-the-american/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [ Richard \[Carrier\] takes the extremist position that Jesus of Nazareth never even existed, that there was no such person in history. This is a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/richard-carrier-takes-the-extremist-position-that-jesus-of-nazareth/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [“You said I was pretty, before." "Did I?" A new laugh escaped him, mirthless. "How unoriginal. I must be the master of understatement. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shana-abe/you-said-i-was-pretty-before-did-i-a-new-laugh-escaped-him-mirthless/) [Shana Abé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shana-abe/) > [The ideal woman which is in every man's mind is evoked by a word or phrase or the shape of her wrist, her hand.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-ideal-woman-which-is-in-every-man-s-mind-is-evoked-by-a-word-or/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [To say that my dad pushed me is an understatement. I was never naturally drawn to football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thierry-henry/to-say-that-my-dad-pushed-me-is-an-understatement-i-was-never/) [Thierry Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thierry-henry/) > [Am I blessed? That would be an understatement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amruta-khanvilkar/am-i-blessed-that-would-be-an-understatement/) [Amruta Khanvilkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amruta-khanvilkar/) > [To prove that Wall Street is an early omen of movements still to come in GNP, commentators quote economic studies alleging that market downturns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/to-prove-that-wall-street-is-an-early-omen-of-movements-still-to-come/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [We look our best in subdued colors, sophisticated cuts, and a general air of sleek understatement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jil-sander/we-look-our-best-in-subdued-colors-sophisticated-cuts-and-a-general/) [Jil Sander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jil-sander/) > [Films like 'The Godfather,' 'Chinatown' and 'The Exorcist' brought a realism and currency and understatement to their genres that we wanted for 'Mildred Pierce.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-haynes/films-like-the-godfather-chinatown-and-the-exorcist-brought-a-realism/) [Todd Haynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-haynes/) > [Brody cannot believe the size of the creature, and with a classic, practical understatement tells Quint his assessment: You're gonna need a bigger boat.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-scheider/brody-cannot-believe-the-size-of-the-creature-and-with-a-classic/) [Roy Scheider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-scheider/) > [I'm pretty blessed when it comes to clear skin. I owe that to being Cape Verdian. My whole family has great skin. My grandfather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rose/i-m-pretty-blessed-when-it-comes-to-clear-skin-i-owe-that-to-being/) [Amber Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rose/) > [Gillard is as likeable as Rudd is charmless. She is self-deprecating; he is ludicrously vainglorious. She is a mistress of understatement; he is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/gillard-is-as-likeable-as-rudd-is-charmless-she-is-self-deprecating/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) ## More by Kate Fox > [“...fine love poetry tends to be written when the object of one's affection is at a safe distance; also, it often reflects a love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/fine-love-poetry-tends-to-be-written-when-the-object-of-one-s/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [“People who insist on calculating in detail exactly who had what when it comes to dividing up the bill are despised, not just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/people-who-insist-on-calculating-in-detail-exactly-who-had-what-when/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [“Humour is our 'default mode', if you like: we do not have to switch it on deliberately, and we cannot switch it off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/humour-is-our-default-mode-if-you-like-we-do-not-have-to-switch-it-on/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [A truly English protest march would see us all chanting: 'What do we want? GRADUAL CHANGE! When do we want it? IN DUE COURSE!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/a-truly-english-protest-march-would-see-us-all-chanting-what-do-we/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [“Every social situation is fraught with ambiguity, knee-deep in complication, hidden meanings, veiled power-struggles, passive-aggression and paranoid confusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/every-social-situation-is-fraught-with-ambiguity-knee-deep-in/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [“The understatement rule means that a debilitating and painful chronic illness must be described as ‘a bit of a nuisance’; a truly horrific experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/the-understatement-rule-means-that-a-debilitating-and-painful-chronic/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [Men gossip for just as long and about the same subjects as women, but tend to talk more about themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/men-gossip-for-just-as-long-and-about-the-same-subjects-as-women-but/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [Male and female gossip also sounds different, as women use more animated tones, more detail and more feedback.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/male-and-female-gossip-also-sounds-different-as-women-use-more/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [Women are more skilled than men at making gossip entertaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/women-are-more-skilled-than-men-at-making-gossip-entertaining/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [“Many of those who pontificate about "acculturation" are inclined to underestimate this element of choice. Such processes are often described in terms suggesting that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/many-of-those-who-pontificate-about-acculturation-are-inclined-to/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [“Native speakers can rarely explain the grammatical rules of their own language. In the same way, those who are most ‘fluent’ in the rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/native-speakers-can-rarely-explain-the-grammatical-rules-of-their-own/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [Researchers have found very little difference between men and women in terms of the amount of time spent gossiping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/researchers-have-found-very-little-difference-between-men-and-women/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [“Class in England is no more determined by wealth than it is by occupation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/class-in-england-is-no-more-determined-by-wealth-than-it-is-by/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [“The reasons for our prolific understating are not hard to discover: our strict prohibitions on earnestness, gushing, emoting and boasting require almost constant use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/the-reasons-for-our-prolific-understating-are-not-hard-to-discover/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) > [“I am convinced that the English get great vicarious pleasure from our pets’ uninhibited behaviour. We grant them all the freedoms that we deny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fox/i-am-convinced-that-the-english-get-great-vicarious-pleasure-from-our/) [Kate Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) [Explore all 18 Kate Fox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fox/) ## More English quotes > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [“evening, they began to think that although he could never hope to be an Englishman, still it would be hard to visit that affliction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/evening-they-began-to-think-that-although-he-could-never-hope-to-be/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Nineteenth-century English literature I know; 19th-century sewage systems, not so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/nineteenth-century-english-literature-i-know-19th-century-sewage/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not very good at standard English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nesbitt/i-m-not-very-good-at-standard-english/) [James Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nesbitt/) > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. The old Soviet Union turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/while-we-like-to-think-queueing-is-unique-to-british-culture-the/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [I was brought up by the English side of my family, who are very repressed and working class. Absolutely lovely, but very English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bat-for-lashes/i-was-brought-up-by-the-english-side-of-my-family-who-are-very/) [Bat for Lashes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bat-for-lashes/) > [No, I didn't forget Samoan - I understand it when you talk to me but, you know, to put phrases together I sound like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-seau/no-i-didn-t-forget-samoan-i-understand-it-when-you-talk-to-me-but-you/) [Junior Seau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-seau/) > [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [“New Englanders could be so brusque.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherise-sinclair/new-englanders-could-be-so-brusque/) [Cherise Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherise-sinclair/) > [Oh, I think country has changed tremendously. I think country has totally changed. Country music when I was a kid was Hank Williams. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/oh-i-think-country-has-changed-tremendously-i-think-country-has/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I'm fully English, but Portugal is my home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-dier/i-m-fully-english-but-portugal-is-my-home/) [Eric Dier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-dier/) > [I think as English people, we don't want to be reminded that at one point we ruled three-quarters of the globe, and now we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-bell/i-think-as-english-people-we-don-t-want-to-be-reminded-that-at-one/) [Jamie Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-bell/) > [When I saw what a mess everything was in I asked for my money back on the ticket. I would have felt I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/when-i-saw-what-a-mess-everything-was-in-i-asked-for-my-money-back-on/) [Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/) [Browse all 1,464 English quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Even the English, who understand it, are not exactly riotously amused by the understatement. 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