If we remember that British humour is thought to be born out of a social ineptness then we must conclude that the British will be excellent at the use of understatements.

The use of understatements is a form of speech in which a lesser expression is used than what would be expected. The understatement is indeed a staple of humor in English-speaking cultures. One is inclined to say things like ... 'Well, I suppose I'm not too bad at that', meaning they are experts, or 'He's not unkind', actually meaning that he's kind. Whatever you do, you wouldn't want to be caught bragging about something.

Many more outrages examples of using this kind of humour can be found in Monty Python’s 'The Meaning of Life'. There is a classic scene where the Black Knight has just lost all of his limbs in a fight. When asked if he will now surrender, he responds, "...It’s just a flesh wound...!"