‘FECK OFF!’ EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMPOLITENESS, LAUGHTER AND HUMOUR IN THE BRITISH-IRISH SITCOMS FATHER TED, BLACK BOOKS AND THE IT CROWD By Marianne Eve Cronin A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics School of English, Drama, American & Canadian Studies College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham August 2018