Humphrey Speaking Latin | Yes, Prime Minister | BBC Comedy Greats

We’re all familiar with Sir Humphrey’s deft control of civil service Mandarin, but have you ever heard him conjugate in Latin?
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[@cmm5542]

'That's easy, none. They'd spend it all on conventional weapons.' I actually find this argument applies to quite a lot of situations.

[@ugolomb]

I wonder what'd happen to a student who wrote that as the answer in the test. It's actually the correct answer, more so than the one they're aiming for, but I doubt a student would have been graded for it.

[@cmm5542]

@@ugolomb Would depend on the level of common sense and lack of self-preservation instincts of the grading teacher I suppose. 😁

[@user-iy1vi9dg8x]

The line"ah！in my naivety I thought you concerned about the future of our children " and sir Humphrey 's gesture is just perfectly hilarious and ridicule

[@michaelharrison3602]

It's also very true the priority of any prime minister or party leader is to win the next election. Like football managers winning is the most important thing whether it's by luck or any other reason isn't important

[@andyray89]

The way Hacker just waves away the paper and pen offered by Bernard is extremely hilarious. A marvellous team of actors.

[@geoalpharius9232]

They should have not shown Bernard in the shot, just his outstretched hand proffering the paper?

[@TonyTheYouTuba]

Edgar Wright uses the “unexpected entry into frame” technique for comedy purposes really well (e.g. Hot Fuzz), wonder if he got some inspiration from this?

[@sailormanoyster1849]

Not to mention those who scripted it brilliant. Hacker dressed to smart to be pm nowadays

[@fransbuijs808]

​@@geoalpharius9232 No, because Bernard was very important to the story. He was always the one who interrupted by bringing in some common sense at the time Humphrey & Hacker least needed it.

[@jeremiahhuckleberry402]

It always amazes me how this brilliant sit-com remains as relevant today as it was when it was first released over forty years ago. So much wisdom couched in hilarity. Truly this is one television program for the ages.

[@internetpleb4854]

Times change governments change but administration stays the same

[@tonyschumacher-jones1540]

You are right of course. Everyone who does first year politics ought to be compelled to see this. It should be a central part of the curriculum.

[@michaelharrison3602]

It's as relevant today as it was then because politicians don't they are as ridiculous now as they were then always have been always will be

[@michaelwhelan564]

It should not be amazement. It should be horror. This demonstrates that sadly nothing changes. This country is still run as a hobby by the privileged few with interest in nothing but themselves. This sit com is valid today and proves that there are people who can see through it all. We need to rid our country of this etonian system and get some decent , high integrity people in!

[@billybobbins9416]

Having worked in the Dept of Trade and Industry back in the 1980's I think the laughter contained in this series detracts from the accurate portrayal in this documentary of how Government and the Civil Service function.

[@VersusARCH]

3:14 Coming from former Yugoslavia I can confirm this. Not too long after each of the constituent republics were allowed to have their own territorial defense units (in 1968.) and state security (in 1974.) the country fell apart in a nice and internationally acclaimed civil war (1991-1995).

[@tim7052]

Nigel Hawthorne was a superb actor with brilliant diction and timing - THE perfect man for the role of Sir Humphrey. His legcy includes making Sir Humphrey's character a real part of the language in the British civil service today!! Thank you and R.I.P Sir Nigel!!

[@iandhr1]

"I should've thought that being bored stiff for 3/4 of the time was excellent preparation for working life" Are we sure this is a comedy and not a documentary.

[@jimmyriddle5246]

Not if you're self employed

[@cmm5542]

Of course it's a documentary. All REAL comedy is documentary. Life is simply the biggest joke of all time, especially political life. 😂

[@danieldickson8591]

YM/YPM are satire. Satire is always based in reality.

[@robgrune3284]

I am not British, but I appreciate greatness when I see it. This is the greatest satire of all time. Everything is as relevant today as then, and may be forever relevant. Nothing comes close to this, and perhaps nothing will. The actors are superb in their roles. So sad to see their passing, but so happy this series has been recorded/preserved for posterity. It should be required curriculum for all students. Yes Minister, Yes Prime Minister - the greatest.

[@annalieff-saxby568]

If you're looking for satire that still bites, try Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal".

[@lesgriffiths8523]

Excellent comment. Les Griffiths ( Australia)

[@seidr9147]

"Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses." I'm gonna start using this to my friends whenever they say something stupid.

[@Soup_Fish]

I looked for translation and all the translation services Google put up say 'If kept silence, stayed philosopher'. It doesn't say what Humphrey says. Where did the writers come up with that translation?

[@saoirsedeltufo7436]

@@Soup_Fish It's not a direct translation (and actually quite a poor one, the proper translation would be "if you'd kept silent, you would have remained a philosopher"), but it's clearly keeping the spirit of the idiom - someone who seemed intelligent and then ruined that by saying something stupid

[@wholeNwon]

Then you'll have fewer Christmas cards to write.

[@bmacpher]

@@saoirsedeltufo7436 One of my favourite adages is along those lines - better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt 🙂

[@alexlee2237]

@@Soup_Fish I think Humphrey is supposed to be paraphrasing. And also online translation will give you a literal translation so they don't always make sense. You can sort of see Humphrey's phrase in that translation: If you'd stayed silent, you'd stay looking like a philosopher i.e. someone clever

[@paulwilkins6362]

Brilliant actors and programme. Sadly all 3 are no longer with us, RIP gentlemen and thanks.

[@johnking5174]

The main reason why Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister was superb was it was written by two great comedy writers who came from both sides of the political spectrum. Jonathan Lynn was a left wing Labour supporter, Anthony Jay was a conservative Thatcher supporter. A well balanced writing partnership.

[@VersusARCH]

MI5 does not have wings. You confused it with the RAF.

[@johnking5174]

@@VersusARCH What? I am confused to what you mean. What has the RAF got to do with my comment?

[@andyray89]

@John King The best thing was not to indicate which political party Hacker belonged to. The show consciously avoided any Tory or Labour reference except this episode.

[@CBfrmcardiff]

Their plays after Brexit suffered, in my opinion, from the fact that both of them were angrily opposed to it. But the other key to the tv series is that they were dramatising the tales told to them by former ministers (mostly Labour) about the difficulties they faced running government departments.

[@supertoyg]

@@andyray89 he wears red ties, mostly exposes leftist ideas (typically to be batted away by Sir Humphrey) and his original SPAD is young and "revolutionary"; it is implied he's Labour, and it is implied Humphrey is a Tory. But the show is good because it finds logical holes in both views of the world.

[@joshuawells835]

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt." - Abraham Lincoln

[@iandhr1]

"Half of them are your enemies anyway and the other half are the sort of friends that make you prefer your enemies." Perfect. Sums up politics really well.

[@Mediumal]

I think Boris would concur…

[@cmm5542]

Quite so.

[@cobbler9113]

Especially local politics. There are a few genuine people in there who want to improve their local area. The rest are either bonkers or using it as a stepping stone to become an MP.

[@MonkeyspankO]

That's easy, they'd spend it all on conventional weapons. 🤣🤣🤣

[@bennylloyd-willner9667]

Bernard is, as always, the one who ties it all together to make brilliant comedy out of good one. Without him, it loses a lot. The chemistry and timing between the three is amazing IMO. With him now gone too (I know it's already 2 years since he left us), heaven is laughing its ass off.

[@JJONNYREPP]

Humphrey Speaking Latin | Yes, Prime Minister | BBC Comedy Greats 0831am 5.4.22 he can see him now? does that mean prior to that the chap was invisible?

[@edwardcoe7293]

Yes, shoving the pen and paper RIGHT in front of his nose instead of just on the desk. etc

[@fromslo1]

Derek Fowlds was a lovely man and a terrific actor. RIP.

[@JJONNYREPP]

@@fromslo1 Humphrey Speaking Latin | Yes, Prime Minister | BBC Comedy Greats 2052pm 9.4.22 i didnt even know he was dead... such is life.

[@dogwalker666]

Boom Boom!

[@verttikoo2052]

This is the best documentary series of the UK politics ever 🥳

[@Ben-ni8ef]

Not the thick of it?

[@ag.s2012]

Nothing has changed. This is timeless. SO relevant today

[@arnaudgerard1971]

Humphrey speaking Latin is great, but "in my naïveté" is greater. :)

[@jeankorte3556]

They are brilliant, the best is when Hacket gets the best of Humphry in some of the episodes, his facial expressions are hilarious 😂

[@Surya-uj7re]

You know, I get the feeling that when Humphrey was ranting about Education being a joke because it was all left to local control, he was for once being sincere. And then he realized the Prime Minister was just worried about re-election and immediately he was back in familiar, cynical waters.

[@Thepourdeuxchanson]

Agreed!

[@Mourtzouphlos240]

And he is right. Take it from an American.

[@JECastle4]

Humphrey was being serious, local authority control of anything is a major threat to the departments in Whitehall. Whitehall knows best, not the people who live there.

[@yegirish]

It feels like Humphrey is being much sharper and less subtle with Hacker than normal, and I think you’re right that it’s because he does care about this.

[@supertoyg]

But he's also sincere where he says education is useless, since he can't use it even to converse with the PM. It's the contradictory view of the conservative nostalgic, convinced of the barbarism of modern times but also fundamentally opposed to any attempt to change the processes that generated such barbaric status quo.

[@MasterofSpiders]

1:26 - Bernard be trolling.

[@labradormcgraw]

Nigel Hawthorne - a true great.

[@antoinemozart243]

In my naïveté I thought younwere concerned about our children !! 😂😂😂

[@MurrayJoe]

Sir Humphrey, “go away Bernard .” 😂

[@davejoey]

'No one would ever of thought Sir Humphrey was saying that about you'

[@kailasac6532]

Wow! This one was a really good ending! Sir Humphry s' astonishment 😂

[@abhijeetraut6427]

This series is just so perfect!

[@johnking5174]

Reason being it was written by two great comedy writers who came from both sides of the political spectrum. Jonathan Lynn was a liberal Labour supporter, Anthony Jay was a conservative Thatcher supporter. A well balanced writing partnership.

[@McRocket]

I'd say Sir Humphery won that one. ☮

[@fsdds1488]

I love the fact that Humphrey sounds like he care about the children's future, but he only support quality education fos hos own kind, against laying off incompetent teachers as long as his children are not going to be taught by them.

[@thomasb.5643]

Humphrey doesn't care about the people or policies per say. Politically, he cares only for stability, and is therefore often for the status quo. He thinks the main objective of the government is to keep society stable. He will fight anything that goes against this principle. Laying off incompetent teachers foments instability, therefore he will be against it.

[@asheryewxu2060]

Not really so; if I recall correctly, later on in this episode, he actually contemplates wants to let Jim’s policy pass through, if only for the children. It’s only when Sir Arnold shuts him down hard that he goes through with trying to obstruct it.

[@kvngn]

@@asheryewxu2060 That's the really interesting thing about "Yes, Prime Minister." Hacker obviously wasn't ready to become the PM, but Sir Humphrey wasn't really ready to become the Cabinet Secretary, either. Sir Arnold left him in the lurch.

[@undercrackers56]

Those bygone days when BBC had great writing. great talent and no box-ticking.

[@fromslo1]

Agreed 100% 👍

[@andyclayton9204]

Instead we have a female and now a black Doctor......

[@yegirish]

@@andyclayton9204 Don’t blame it on having diverse actors. The writing went to absolute shite back under Smith and Capaldi.

[@jeh1333]

Brilliant manoeuvring by Sir Humphrey as always!

[@Rhianalanthula]

I see that the reason they raised the school leaving age to 16 was exactly the same reason they raised it again to 18!

[@BlueAxeRacer]

Also the same reason why they introduced the minimum wage laws.

[@puneethvenkatrao332]

Can you please elaborate?

[@michaelharrison3602]

@@BlueAxeRacer true when minimum wage was introduced I was actually earning about £1.25ph more and I was told my wages would go down to the legal minimum wage I thought that was unfair so left the job. I went to sign on intending to claim unemployment benefit until I got another job but I was told i couldn't claim because i had left a job that paid minimum wage

[@RO8s]

And again to encourage everyone to go to University. The school leaving age is now effectively 23...

[@michaelharrison3602]

People in full-time education Don count when they are calculating the number of unemployed

[@leopold7562]

54.068, to 3 decimal places. I’ve nothing to add about this show. How we can be four decades on and it still be so on the money is testament to just how government never changes

[@tomlangron2532]

But, but, "Times change, and we change with them", surely???

[@MLaak86]

Humphrey really has a great point in this and many other YPM eps despite the tone shifting to try to make him and the Civil Service wrong or worse the bad guys, as opposed to having a different view from Hacker.

[@RO8s]

But that's the point - you never really know what Humphrey believes. He may not even know himself - he's just trying to hold it all together.

[@MLaak86]

@@RO8s Humphrey believes in long term thinking and the status quo, though not without some gradual change

[@peterclark5242]

Absolutely brilliant!

[@lukemarshall1701]

Now tomfoolery in education is in the hands of Ofsted, rather than local councils. As Humphrey said (in Latin) "Times change and we change with them."

[@cmm5542]

Please, don't mention Ofsted on a public forum. That strikes immediate terror to the heart of all teachers like myself, and I'm sure there's something about that in KZbin regulations 😆😆.

[@horsethi3f]

Bernard was just so ready to hand in that pencil and paper

[@mithrandir491]

It really takes a battle to win an argument with Sir Humphrey.

[@paulmcgeown7022]

Absolute gold ...

[@agniksen8507]

Q1 Answer Atom bombs obviously 😂😂

[@DarkPriestess1]

"Go away Bernard"

[@hudsonbailey674]

Thank you, BBC Comedy

[@ThePsiclone]

as Humphry would say "eo plura mutare magis manent in eodem" (the more things change the more they stay the same)

[@Thepourdeuxchanson]

Plus ca change, plus c'est le meme chose - in French.

[@11Kralle]

@@Thepourdeuxchanson "Allens blifft bi'n Ollen." (everything stays as it was) The famous first paragraph from the constitution of 19-century Mecklenburg/Germany. People had to be assured, that there won't be any changes :D

[@georgebuller1914]

3:57 - Bing-f*king- ho! LOL

[@randallmidgley7589]

Looking at this show, you have a chilling thoughts that this is very familiar. Well written, and we'll acted.

[@jacobdzik6238]

Legend🤣🤣🤣

[@andreashaynes3346]

SUPERB 🌟🌟🌟

[@cs2874]

Go away bernard please! 😂

[@fransbuijs808]

They just keep banging out one great one liner after the other while making it seem as if they're just having a conversation. If that's not brilliant writing and brilliant acting, I don't know what is.

[@naly202]

So true.

[@StephensCrazyHour]

The questions that were asked is a technique known as "generative theming" and is basically a way of subverting education curriculums that was thought up by Paulo Friere. The idea is that you want to make the kids think about a topic, so you indirectly draw their attention to the topic through "innocent" questioning. It ruins their education but it creates great activists.

[@Farweasel]

Quanto plura mutant, magis eadem manent? The scary thing is, Hacker would be an outstanding star in *any* of today's political parties.

[@spellczech8591]

Iconic

[@-amosc.presley-7192]

Them Comedians oh boy I tell you… Hahaha

[@HRHooChicken]

John Spartan you are fined one credit for violating the verbal statute

[@JESK-rh1tw]

02:38 - and in 2008 they raised it to 18 for the same reason.

[@Alanwcum]

What he said about the DES and local council interference is so true!

[@bruceyap7332]

How true

[@maxvonberg7866]

This was set at a time when our A levels were considered to be far superior to the education one received at any American college. How times have changed indeed.

[@MichaelGGarry]

Have they changed? I would take A-levels over any American college.....

[@robin231176]

"Go away Bernard, please".

[@fromslo1]

Just brilliant.

[@MonteCristoAUS]

Very clever, I just divided 5 billion by 75. Try it yourself

[@hitcher1775]

Best get used to this Rishi or Liz ~ you could be in the hot seat, soon.

[@titan4284]

Gut

[@SaintDre7]

😂😂😂

[@harishs8567]

Never change

[@titan4284]

😂

[@LookBackHistory]

That last line was truly brilliant. Who cares about children when there are elections to win, am I right?

[@leecharles8981]

5 series. 5 BAFTA's for Nigel Hawthorne

[@Snowfox456]

3947/73 is a trick question, it's not a whole number.

[@JJFHNREHJEDK]

Not really a trick question

[@johnbunyan5834]

It's not a trick. There is still a result. Get out your pencil and paper and do some long division . ( show all working .)

[@RuthvenMurgatroyd]

What on Earth are you on about? You don't just ignore the quotient simply because it's a fraction. The only trick here is the one that you're playing on yourself. 😂

[@PenzancePete]

Reputedly Margaret Thatcher's favourite programme.

[@homeonegreen9]

We really should learn Latin because it is the next step of English grammer. Even if the Latin is forgotten later it will improve grammer and comprehension.

[@abdullahikimam1915]

TimeStamp Education should change with the times - 0:40 to Civil War in 3 weeks - 3:30

[@Hugh_de_Mortimer]

Shout out to Michael Gove.

[@mattic6]

54.068 (done with a pencil).

[@jeromemckenna7102]

Anyone who thinks comedy doesn't deal with serious issues hasn't see this.

[@muchada15]

5 billion divided by 75 gives you the devils number over and over again

[@pacificostudios]

Leave it to Sir Humphrey to suggest that every intractable problem in the U.K. could be solved by giving total power to the national Civil Service.

[@adrianwilliams763]

English is important, but mathes is importanter.

[@vallee3140]

are you mispelling this deliberately

[@jamwil200]

@@vallee3140 Thinks you what¿

[@henrybyrd5402]

@@vallee3140 yoo meen he is spellin it rong?

[@michaelharrison3602]

Yeah ejucashun is getting worser

[@hellomoto1426]

Indid ejukation iz getting bad

[@georgebuller1914]

2:44 - The main reason we now have 'colleges' after 11 years of school education....

[@driveincanada9713]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@janesmith9024]

And then we raised in England the school leaving age to 18 unless you are an apprentice probably for the same reasons....

[@Emilpoika]

3947/73=~54

[@jamwil200]

But more importantly, you could feed 66,666,666 children and a further two thirds of a child with the nuclear defense budget.

[@johndaarteest]

There really is more truth in jest.

[@briananthony4044]

I remember an article from a number of decades ago about education in labour controlled London. They had an African man going around the schools teaching kids that America had developed a bomb that only killed blacks. My view of schooling in labour led councils took a massive dive about that time. Probably about the time Yes Minister aired.

[@viperswhip]

He may have watched a sci-fi movie and thought it a documentary or something.

[@gleggett3817]

Did you read it in the Daily Mail though....

[@hans2406]

Well, there are rumours China is developing a virus that doesn't affect Asians.

[@RuthvenMurgatroyd]

I believe scientists have looked into the possibility of bioweapons that affect only people with a particular set of genes (these hypothetical weapons are called ethnic bioweapons or biogenetic weapons more generally) but a bomb? Regardless, these weapons are all hypothetical at the moment (as far as we are aware).

[@claudiamanta1943]

The otherwise entertaining Oxbridge wit to provide satire as a venting outlet for the public discontent. And keep things as they are.

[@davidgavin7280]

Imagine if any of the recent/current shower of sh**" incumbents of any of the roles depicted were in anyway a 1000th as good as these fictional masterpieces...

[@mardus_ee]

Humphrey's Latin accent is too thick.

[@peterkavanagh64]

The old sales of cputers need to be sighted the deals set the target. To hold is to know we might internally.looknat chamhinges in the self of each monster to civil Service workers officer etc commission ers they you determine the target for the sales ..diaries cross reference to army's feedback.amd police not nessassary war or crime . Loss might be best

[@canopus101]

Very true, if defence was devolved civil war would result. As Welshman suffering under the idiots in Cardiff I know this to be true.

[@harrisonnightingale6600]

He is right though education in this country has basically gone down the drain.

[@phrtao]

Could we have imagined how education has become obsolete for attaining knowledge. "tempus mutat omnia" as Sir Humphrey might say

[@titan4284]

Vini Vidi Vinci

[@aliciadessironaldochavez8202]

GREETINGS FROM GUATEMALA ! ISAIAH 40 : 8 / II TIM . II : XV FORZA E CORAGGIO *

[@giovanniacuto2688]

dopo aprile viene maggio

[@MarcoBonechi]

If there was more Latin and less English the law would be enforced.

[@neilgerace355]

1:39 Humphrey's pronunciation is awful. O tempura, o morays ...

[@RuthvenMurgatroyd]

Sounds like the standard, traditional Anglo pronunciation of Latin to my ear. Why? Do you prefer the reconstructed pronunciation or the ecclesiastical pronunciation of Rome?

[@eleethtahgra7182]

Its a joke. Its all a joke meme

[@user-bk5xo1gj7k]

there were no jokes in this piece ... i don't see the reason for the background laughter. imagine CNN breaking news with that kind of background laughter

[@conorlanders8401]

It was filmed in front of a live audience who h is where the laughter comes from.

[@Sunil778-l4c]

*I like politicians only in this skit but in real life they suck 😂😂😂 irrespective of thier ideology and party.*

[@tonyb9735]

Ah！in my naivety I thought you were concerned about the future of our children. Don't be stupid, I'm a Tory.

[@charlestaylor3027]

Left wingers know no history or they would know Labour has done more to destroy education than all the other parties put together.

[@barryfoster453]

The sad fact is that educated people like Sir Humphrey aren't actually concerned about educating the 'poor' masses, either. All that ever concerns them is their job, their pension, and having the real power. We are now in a time when Jane Austin is being dropped in for 'inclusion and de-colonisation' (whatever that is). I hear no cries of woe from the Left-leaning civil servants.

[@jemmywuk]

If only they dropped Jane Austen for a proper reason, like being incredibly boring, or out of touch with it's own times. Or because people, such as yourself, can't spell her surname.

[@wkcia]

You’re mistaken. Humphrey actually has a bit of a heart here… he actually cares about the children and their education. It’s Hacker who’s being a short sighted politician. Same as modern England. Anyone who genuinely cares about education will not sound like Jim Hacker.