In 1877 The New York Times reported that US Senator Roscoe Conkling poked fun at President Rutherford B. Hayes for using the word ‘We’ in speeches. He said that he had noticed three classes of people who always say ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ and they were emperors, editors and people with tapeworms.
But in English history the usage goes back further. The royal we, majestic plural (pluralis majestatis ), or royal plural was used by a single person who was a monarch or held high office. It was also used in certain formal contexts by bishops and university rectors. William Longchamp is credited with its introduction to England in the late 12th century, following the practice of the Chancery of Apostolic Briefs (Pause for consideration of this post ).
There is a more general term for the use of a we, us, or our to refer to oneself and that is nosism, a word which really needs brown in front of it. Or blue if you are a Birmingham City supporter.
It’s not possible to write about the ‘We ’ without mentioning the most famous recent usage of the word, by Margaret Thatcher in 1989 when she announced ‘We have become a grandmother’. I’m fairly sure Neil Kinnock responded the next time they clashed in Parliament with ‘We are not amused’ to something she had suggested.
Which brings us (the royal me) round to the ‘are not amused ’ part of the phrase. There are quite a few versions of how Victoria came to actually say the words ranging from Courtiers at her dinners to a performance of HMS Pinafore. And then there is the evidence of the monarch's granddaughter Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, who said in a 1976 interview that Victoria never actually made the remark. “You know, I’m so disappointed,” Alice said. “I asked her, and she never said it.”
We are not amused. But were we at the time? Do jokes become unfunny? Let’s have look at Victorian times and we have to thank Skedaddle for this:
‘Our understanding of Victorian humour is heavily dependent on the surviving historical record, which tends to privilege mainstream (and generally quite respectable) books and newspapers. The kind of jokes that were published in these texts were usually suitable for a family audience. In fact, many of the period's joke books took great pains to emphasise the respectability of their contents and their suitability for a domestic audience - an assurance that hints at the existence of unrespectable jokes, but gets us no closer to finding them’.
Actually Skedaddle does find some but I’m not repeating them as they are very unrespectable . Here’s a respectable one:
“See here waiter, I’ve found a button in my salad”
“That’s alright sir, it’s part of the dressing!”
“See here waiter, I’ve found a button in my salad”
“That’s alright sir, it’s part of the dressing!”
As I’ve mentioned 1989 earlier let’s try that year’s humour. There are too many tv shows to mention but what a contrast between the last episode of Benny Hill on May 1st and the last episode of Blackadder Goes Forth on the 2nd of November. A poll has the final scene of Blackadder as the ninth most memorable moment of all time.
And what about now? We, as a viewing public, as far as I can tell are not as amused by current comedy programmes as in the past. Father Ted, Morecambe and Wise, Dad’s Army etc are still being watched. Pretty much the same on the radio with Around the Horne, I’m Sorry I haven’t a Clue (still going), Hitchhiker’s Guide etc. Maybe it’s just me.
As for a poem to illustrate ‘We are Not Amused ’ I’m at a bit of a loss. The only thing I can come up with is the following where the writer is not amused at the poem but we are.
The Tay Bridge Disaster by William McGonagall
Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay!
Alas! I am very sorry to say
That ninety lives have been taken away
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember’d for a very long time.
‘Twas about seven o’clock at night,
And the wind it blew with all its might,
And the rain came pouring down,
And the dark clouds seem’d to frown,
And the Demon of the air seem’d to say-
“I’ll blow down the Bridge of Tay.”
When the train left Edinburgh
The passengers’ hearts were light and felt no sorrow,
But Boreas blew a terrific gale,
Which made their hearts for to quail,
And many of the passengers with fear did say-
“I hope God will send us safe across the Bridge of Tay.”
And so on...
Terry Q.
Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay!
Alas! I am very sorry to say
That ninety lives have been taken away
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember’d for a very long time.
‘Twas about seven o’clock at night,
And the wind it blew with all its might,
And the rain came pouring down,
And the dark clouds seem’d to frown,
And the Demon of the air seem’d to say-
“I’ll blow down the Bridge of Tay.”
When the train left Edinburgh
The passengers’ hearts were light and felt no sorrow,
But Boreas blew a terrific gale,
Which made their hearts for to quail,
And many of the passengers with fear did say-
“I hope God will send us safe across the Bridge of Tay.”
And so on...
Terry Q.
