Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie: The Subject of Language

From season one of "A Bit of Fry & Laurie".

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• stephen
• fry
• hugh
• laurie

[SethHesio]

Although this is a comedy sketch, and it's freakin' hilarious, I get the feeling this is really how Stepheny Fry feels about language and speech. It's a love letter to language, delivered through a sketch. It's timeless. Brilliant.

[greenjelly01]

I just came back to hear Stephen say "capable"

[rozziebrown]

@Richardatf The only thing that occurs to me is that the pronoun 'it' doesn't seem to be referring to the milk, but to the event itself. Your error in splicing two sentences with a comma in your second sentence is more glaring :P

[rozziebrown]

@noradosmith I think it's more likely a reference to de Saussure, particularly the whole 'language' vs. 'speech' thing - 'langue' vs. 'parole' in French as he expressed it.

[JanitorialExpress]

Dorset in a County in England not a town.

[IanWorthington]

@lyadmilo 'Twas a county last time I was there. Maybe you're thinking of Dorchester?

[lyadmilo]

@hbanana7 In Dorset alone. Dorset is a town in England.

[lyadmilo]

@IdiotNESS Well some of the things he lists really do seem like what someone who considers language "his mother, father, whore..." would say, like "it is the breath of God," and then to prove how amazing language is, he says things like "it is a wet nappy" or a "wellington boot," because a) it's effing hilarious and b) if language can use language to make wet nappies both funny and beautiful, why then it IS the breath of God and a check-out girl and a mistress, a unique child of a unique mother.

[Hatoflegends]

sweet jesus, of corse they actualy are talking about chickens and eggs aren't they ! SOOOO COOOOL! :D

[Crumpets7]

I'm writing an assignement at college primarily on speech, language & communication. So, of course, I am quoting Stephen Fry! :D

[Ananieles]

Lol, I love their fluid chemistry.

[henq]

Hi, does anybody knows if the chain of absurd comparisons that Fry starts at 3:07 is an know literary form, used by Oscar Wilde or one of Fry's hero's?

"Language is my mother, my father, my husband, my brother, my sister, my whore, my mistress, my check-out girl... language is a complimentary moist lemon-scented cleansing square or handy freshen-up wipette. Language is the breath of God. Language is the dew on a fresh apple, ...."