One might therefore expect the butt of Hungarian jokes to be the Romanians (which would be returning a favour) or perhaps the Slovaks, Croats or Serbs. Skót viccek (Scottish jokes) are based around two simple premises: that we’re drunkards and we’re skinflints. Dr Molnár says: "Scottish jokes are incredibly common in Hungary, perhaps second only to mother-in-law jokes. "According to the historical studies, the Scottish jokes appeared in Poland, where the Scottish merchants were trading intensively in the 16-17th Century. "Hungary and Poland had a very close relationship historically, so the Scottish jokes spread to Hungary - despite the fact that very few Hungarians had actually met Scots."

Source: The Herald December 30, 2023 04:09 UTC