# An old one: "We are not amused."

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-one-we-are-not-amused/487031>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [February 23, 2009, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-one-we-are-not-amused/487031 "2009-02-23T09:39:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-one-we-are-not-amused/487031/1 "2009-02-23T09:39:42Z")

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[Came across Cecil’s answer](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/889/victoria-said-we-are-not-amused-not-amused-by-what) after I read a claim on TV Tropes that it was in reference to upper crust-mocking _HMS Pinafore_, and that the self-deprecating reference to it in _Pirates of Penzance_ and its ending (the pirates surrender in Victoria’s name) were attempts to placate her.

Any truth or evidence for this?

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**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-one-we-are-not-amused/487031/2 "2009-02-23T19:21:34Z")

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> [@Leaper](#):
>
> [Came across Cecil’s answer](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/889/victoria-said-we-are-not-amused-not-amused-by-what) after I read a claim on TV Tropes that it was in reference to upper crust-mocking _HMS Pinafore_, and that the self-deprecating reference to it in _Pirates of Penzance_ and its ending (the pirates surrender in Victoria’s name) were attempts to placate her.
> 
> Any truth or evidence for this?

It doesn’t make sense. The big butt of _Pinafore_’s humor is W. H. Smith, and the whole point of the joke was that he _wasn’t_ upper-crust – just filthy rich. (Yes, it’s the same W. H. Smith.)

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-one-we-are-not-amused/487031/3 "2009-02-24T04:51:00Z")

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For significant quotes by Queen Victoria, I’d have thought “We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat; they do not exist” would rank before “I will be good”.