Two Irish men are digging a ditch. Two irish men are digging a ditch while a third British man keeps watch on their progress. One Irish man asks t'other ""why is it that we have to be down here in this mud while the Brit sits up there on his lazy arse."" The second Irish man, indignant at this sudden revelation, stomps up to the man on the stool and asks ""Why is it were down there and you're up here?"" The British man calmly folds his newspaper, looks up and says ""I will show you."" He puts his hand against a nearby brick wall and instructs the Irish Man to punch it as hard as he can. The irish man, a big hulking mass of muscle, winds back and throws an incredibly powerful fist toward his hand, at the last second the British man pulls his hand out of the way and Irish mans fist impacts the wall leaving him very sore and embarrassed. ""That's why"" the supervisor says smugly. After returning to the ditch the first Irish man asks ""well? what did he say."" The second Irish man puts his hand up in front of his face and says ""hit my hand as hard as you can."" This is an oldie my dad (from Belfast) told me. I wrote it from memory as best i could.