A few of the western admirers of the beauty of Japanese or Chinese calligraphy may actually be able to read what is said, and they are part, of course, of a linguistic inside group, which, in the case of Chinese or English speakers, might number many millions, and within which a vast amount of humour circulates, certainly in English. The play on words so favoured by British comedians and writers depends on a set of insider values that are totally obscure to those who do not speak the language at an advanced level