Wodehouse says...of slang and humor

I like “He swings a mean pen” and “You said a mouthful” tremendously. Our most happy word, I think, is “blotto,” though an Englishman is always at his best in terms of address. If he calls a friend “Old bean” on Monday, it would never do to repeat it on the next day. Tuesday it would be “Old egg” and Wednesday would undoubtedly bring forth “Old crumpet.” 

The chief characteristic of English humor is that it is cautious. American humor takes chances. That is the principal difference. The American humorist is single-minded; he wants to be funny. The English humorist wabbles; he would like to be funny, but he is haunted by the fear of being vulgar. The English humorist leads a sheltered life. Generally he is born in the private income class; he goes to a public school, then to a university, and then he is probably called to the bar. The American humorist, I believe, has not been sheltered in this way. As a rule, he has been a newspaper man. His humor is spontaneous; his jokes are real jokes.

Have you ever been hit by a car? If not, don’t. There’s nothing in it.