The biggest understatement of all times

[caesar44]

Every time I see Nixon's speech in 1974 I am on the flour - "...WELL , I AM NOT A CROOK...!" and finally - (he was drunk?)

Please add some understatements for the sake of history

[Papewaio]

You eat bread everytime you watch Nixon's '74 speech?

[Ianofsmeg16]

Neville Chaimberlain (PM before Churchill)
"Peace in our time"
Understatement of the Century

[Gawain of Orkeny]

This is far from the biggest understatement of all times. How about Chamberlains remarks after his meeting with Hitler of I hold in my hand peace for the world or something to that effect. Surely that tops it by miles.

[Red Harvest]

Every time I see Nixon's speech in 1974 I am on the flour - "...WELL , I AM NOT A CROOK...!"

Technical note: that is not an understatement, it is a false hood.

As for understatement, the one that always sticks in my mind is the NASA communications person a few seconds after Challenger exploded saying, "Flight controllers here are looking very carefully at the situation. Obviously a major malfunction." It is not amusing, but it sticks with me.

[The Stranger]

Neville Chaimberlain (PM before Churchill)
"Peace in our time"
Understatement of the Century

yup after the berling congress. he said. Well i brought peace to our times.

[The Stranger]

I am a Berliner. thats funny.

[Ianofsmeg16]

Ich Bin Ein Berliner!

*roughly translated as I am a doughnut...understatement anyone?

[Adrian II]

Nixon was indeed a false hood who according to close friends spent most of his final days on the flour being drunk.

My favourite is the part of Emperor Hirohito's August 1945 capitulation speech where he stated that 'the war in the Pacific has not necessarily developed in Japan's favour'.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Nixon was indeed a false hood who according to close friends spent most of his final days on the flour being drunk.

Wow I didnt know you could get drunk on flour Can you back this up at all?

[Kraxis]

You can... it will get messy, but it is entirely possible. I think this is worth trying out. You go first.

My favourite is the part of Emperor Hirohito's August 1945 capitulation speech where he stated that 'the war in the Pacific has not necessarily developed in Japan's favour'.

Ahhh, a very good one. Understatement while not wrong, and a big one at that.

[Grey_Fox]

'There is something wrong with our bloody ships today' - Admiral Beatty at Jutland after two of his Battle Cruisers explode and sink

I believe that after Waterloo, Wellington's despatch was so devoid of superlatives that the American ambassador (I think) thought Napoleon had won.

[Krusader]

Anything Comical Ali said

Otherwise I would agree to the Chamberlain one.

[Red Harvest]

Being that this is an international forum perhaps we need to put in the definition of understatement.

understated: avoiding obvious emphasis or embellishment

An understatement would not be false; instead it would be true, but not providing sufficient description of the magnitude of something.

It's like a surgeon getting ready to cut into you without benefit of anesthetic saying, "This might hurt a little." The natural response to understatement would be, "Well, DUH!" or "No, $**t!"

[Red Harvest]

'There is something wrong with our bloody ships today' - Admiral Beatty at Jutland after two of his Battle Cruisers explode and sink

That's a good one, I had forgotten about that. Stereotypical British understatement.

[Strike For The South]

Rock n' Roll will be gone by June.
Variety Magazine, Early 1955

(does that count?)

[Adrian II]

Wow I didnt know you could get drunk on flour Can you back this up at all?

It is backed up by the first part of the thread, and particularly Papewaio's expertise.

[caesar44]

You eat bread everytime you watch Nixon's '74 speech?

Yes , we in the ME are eating flour , drinking water and then going to the fireplace and waiting for Nixon's speech...:)

[The Stranger]

from what a woman wants//mel gibson

i know i'm not a perfect dad.

[caesar44]

Wow I didnt know you could get drunk on flour Can you back this up at all?

Such a humor... "He wrote flour instead of floor !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! , you are killing me dude" The sharpness...the ability to catch the little things...

[Kraxis]

That's a good one, I had forgotten about that. Stereotypical British understatement.

Now is it really an understatement? If something is 'bloody wrong' then it is very wrong. And that was certainly the case. It would have been an understatement if he had said:
"I say, our ships are not working at optimal efficiency today. Could I have another cup of tea please?"

[King Henry V]

Rock n' Roll will be gone by June.
Variety Magazine, Early 1955

(does that count?)

Actually that's a false prediction.

[Red Harvest]

Now is it really an understatement? If something is 'bloody wrong' then it is very wrong. And that was certainly the case. It would have been an understatement if he had said:
"I say, our ships are not working at optimal efficiency today. Could I have another cup of tea please?"

No he said "bloody ships" not "bloody wrong." "Bloody wrong" would have indeed taken it out of the understatement category, because it was clear to everyone that something was very, very wrong with them at that point.

[English assassin]

One for the biochemists amongst us. Watson and Crick concluded their paper in which they described the structure of DNA with:

It has not escaped our notice that the specific pairing we have postulated immediately suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material.

That must be about the most understated announcement of a epoch making scientific breakthrough.

I don't know if it strictly an understatement but "I am just going outside, and I may be some time" deserves a mention too.

[Kraxis]

No he said "bloody ships" not "bloody wrong." "Bloody wrong" would have indeed taken it out of the understatement category, because it was clear to everyone that something was very, very wrong with them at that point.

How the heck could I have missed that...
Anyway, yes it is an understatement, butthe 'bloody' does add a sense of frustration into the words of Beatty. He wouldn't use that word unless he was fuming at the brigde over some poor design. I can easily see it for me that he was actually yelling. But yes, it is still an understatement.

[The Stranger]

english use bloody in almost every sentence

[Louis VI the Fat]

'There is something wrong with our bloody ships today' - Admiral Beatty at Jutland after two of his Battle Cruisers explode and sink

The understatement lies in the discrepancy between 'something wrong' and 'exploding and sinking'.

I believe that after Waterloo, Wellington's despatch was so devoid of superlatives that the American ambassador (I think) thought Napoleon had won.

Alas, the 'understatement' is quite typical of the English use of language. In French that victory would've been announced in pompous, glorifying language. So I can't think of any funny understatement myself.

*Knows that some are now desperately trying to combine 'can't think of any' and 'French victory' into some sort of joke. *

[yesdachi]

"...WELL , I AM NOT A CROOK...!"

Nixon was a politician and therefore a crook so his statement is a lie. But I like the fact that even thou his party was totally caught he did take some responsibility for his actions. It would be nice to see others do the same coughClintonscough. Side note: Nixons head appearances on futurama are great!

[Kraxis]

english use bloody in almost every sentence

Not the bloody aristocracy and upper class. To a man like Beatty 'bloody' does signify his rather uncomfortable position.

It is funny, but in Denmark it used to like this too.

A soldier defending Copenhagen in 1807 against the British actually made a rather interesting, and very time-fitting, over-understatement (complex but I will try to explain).

He was in the elite volountary sharpshooter (they were actually civilians). In a sally his buddy got killed right beside him. Then in his fury he stood up, shook his fist at the knave that did it, then proceeded to shoot every single of his 30 rounds at him and finally calmly walked back to the city.
Sadly I can't translate it as a lot of the feeling gets lost in traslation (besides I haven't got the text).

The way it comes off is a sort of "Better than thou, but humble about it." When I read it I didn't know ifI should laugh, cry or be impressed. Then as I read on it turned out that that was the way people spoke, over-understatements.
Surprisingly I haven't seen this among others.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Men Kraxis, der er altid nogle der kan forstar lidt Dansk. Siger det om dansk!

Now let's hope my Danish still makes some sense...