WELSH ACCENT

February 1st, 2011 post on British accents: Welsh

QI is a comedy panel game in which being quite interesting is more important than being right. Stephen Fry is joined week by four comedians to share anecdotes and trivia and to answer some questions as well.

QI: Welsh racism with comedian Rob Brydon

Stephen: Rob, what's the difference between a Carlisle Surprise, a Reverse Canterbury Pleasure, and a sheep tied to a lamp post in Cardiff?

Rob: Now, this is another example of the institutionalised racism--

Stephen: That's true.

Rob: --which is accepted when it's directed towards . . . the Welsh. As it has . . . Is this a reference to the joke about the . . . about: "What is a sheep tied to a lamp post in Cardiff? . . . It's a leisure centre." Now, because . . . because--

Stephen: It's awfully good--

Rob: [pointing to the audience, who is laughing] No! No! No! No! No! [points at Stephen] And . . . and you, no!

Stephen: [puts on stern face and pushes glasses to face] No.

Rob: [still pointing] You, no--

Stephen: Mm. No.

Rob: [points to Alan] And you . . . no! No. "What is the difference?" The only thing I have knowledge of is the sheep ti— . . . no, no, I  me— . . . sorry, I have knowledge of Cardiff! I don't . . . Well, I'm not really aware what . . . what a "Carlisle Surprise" is, other than the shock of finding yourself at Carlisle, erm . . .

Alan: Sounds like, sort-of, an ice cream, I'd have thought--

Rob: --which, surely is more of a delight, than anything else--

Stephen: Yes, a total delight.

Rob: Erm, a Reverse Canterbury . . .

Stephen: The full name is a "Reverse Canterbury Pleasure Place Double". It's an ancient English pastime.

Bill: Erm . . .

Rob: A Morris dance. Is it . . . is it a type of Morris dance?

Stephen: It's not Morris dancing, no. It has musical nature--

Rich: Break-dancing.

Stephen: It's not a dance. It's really big . . . as big a musical instrument as you could ever find.

Bill: A whale. See, with a whale, you just put your hand over the blowhole; You--[mimes playing a whale, with whistling and bass noises].

Stephen: He's making jokes about Wales!

Rob: [points at Bill in an "I've got your number" way]

Stephen: Erm, no.

Bill: Cheeky.

Stephen: The name for this pastime comes from, originally, the Latin for "countryside", but a particular part of the Latin countryside called Campana. And so it's--

Bill: Oh, bells, bells.

Stephen: --called Campanology.

Bill: Ah, it's bells.

Stephen: Absolutely right. It's bell-ringing.

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