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What is the English translation of the "The Funniest Joke in the World" from the Monty Python Flying Circus comedy sketch in 1969?

Question #130454. Asked by Philip_Eno.
Last updated Sep 05 2024.
Originally posted Apr 11 2013 2:07 AM.

Related Trivia Topics: World   Television   English  
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parrotman2006 star
Answer has 24 votes
Currently Best Answer
parrotman2006 star
19 year member
346 replies avatar

Answer has 24 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
"My dog has no nose."
"How does he smell?"
"Terrible."

This is commonly given as the translation. The actual words in the episode are nonsense, and have no actual meaning in German.

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Funniest_Joke_in_the_World

Apr 11 2013, 2:23 AM
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looney_tunes star
Answer has 23 votes
looney_tunes star
Moderator
19 year member
3308 replies avatar

Answer has 23 votes.
You can see the "German" text of the joke at this link. As noted there, it is not actually in German (some words are only German-sounding), and has no meaningful English translation. In "German", it reads "Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!"

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Funniest_Joke_in_the_World

Apr 11 2013, 2:26 AM
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sportsherald star
Answer has 14 votes
sportsherald star
13 year member
705 replies avatar

Answer has 14 votes.
At your own risk, you can watch the sketch for yourself at link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9XJeL2MNpw.

In it, they say Hitler "just could not match" the humour, demonstrated by him telling the dog's nose joke (in English subtitles). The "German" words to the funniest joke, used to lethal effect by the British are, as described above, nonsensical gibberish.

The Wikipedia entry for this joke also confirms that it is nonsense.
link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Funniest_Joke_in_the_World
In the sketch, the Nazi attempt at their own V-joke weapon was the old chestnut: "There were zwie peanuts walking down the strasse, and one was assaulted (a salted) peanut."

If you try to input the "German" into Google Translate to get a version of it, it yields only links to this joke.


Response last updated by gtho4 on Sep 05 2024.
Aug 18 2015, 11:36 PM
Dr_Gas
Answer has 11 votes
Dr_Gas

Answer has 11 votes.
Google translate now yields: "FATAL ERROR"

Methinks someone at Google has a Pythonesque sense of humour.

Jan 01 2019, 7:17 AM
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