Given Hungary and Scotland have never met in a competitive fixture, it'd be hard to describe Sunday's Euro 2024 fixture as a grudge match.

A crucial game, yes, given that a win would see Steve Clarke's side through while the Magyars could still make it to the last 16 if they take their first points of the tournament but hardly one that will have Germany's riot police worried.

Except, that is, for the fact that Scotland has long been the butt of Hungary's jokes.

Where most countries look to their nearest neighbours when ribbing someone, there are Magyar joke books dedicated entirely to Skót viccek (Scottish jokes), the premise usually being that we're drunkards, tight with money, or both.

This is believed to date back to a 19th Century connection to the Free Church of Scotland, whose mission in Pest would invite young Hungarians to Scotland to be trained as missionaries.

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Later the Church would offer a scholarship fund allowing  students from Debrecen Reformed College the opportunity to attend New College, Edinburgh.

There they were schooled in the doctrines of Calvinism, which emphasise abstinence, moderation and, of course, thrift.

According to historians Abraham Kovacs and Richard Horcsik this led to “a transplanted Scottish Presbyterian culture” in the east of Hungary, probably giving rise to the stereotype of miserly Scots.

The Tartan Army, of course, has long made a virtue of gentle humour surrounding other countries and their sacred cows.

One famous example is a trip to Italy which featured thousands of Scots threatening to "deep fry your pizza", while in the side's previous Euro 2024 fixture Switzerland were told "you've got fondue, we've got Irn-Bru, I just don't think you understand..."

It's therefore fair to expect a bit of a humour battle off the pitch even as Steve Clarke's side take on Marco Rossi's on it for a place in the knockout rounds of the competition.

With that in mind The Herald took to the streets of Stuttgart with a sign which read, in Hungarian, "tell me your best Scottish joke" then put the responses to the Tartan Army.

(Image: Newsquest)

The first issue is both a language barrier and, you sense, a cultural one.

If you can say anything for the Scots it's that we're not afraid to laugh at ourselves, but it appears many of the Magyars are anxious about repeating any of their Skót viccek lest they offend.

One begins to tell a joke then cracks up and says "I can't say it", another says apologetically "I don't want to be racist". A third giggles and declares "I don't want to, they are bad!".

Eventually a man called Róbert clocks the sign and approaches, confirming "we have so many Scottish jokes".

The one he tells goes like this: a Scottish man goes with his son the market, the son says 'dad, I'm hungry, can I have a watermelon?'. The father buys him it. 10 years later the father and son are once again at the market, and the son says 'dad, I'm thirsty, can I have a beer?'. The father replies, 'please, son, I already bought you a watermelon!'.

The Herald puts this one to Paul, who is sitting on Schlossplatz enjoying a beer and says he had no idea about Hungary's 'Scottish joke' phenomenon. The verdict? 2/10.

(Image: Newsquest Design)

Next to try his luck is András, which is the Hungarian form of Andrew, so big things are expected.

He's travelling with a large group of friends and when the question is posed they promise to tell "the best Scottish joke".

A couple huddle around a phone as they translate this rib-tickler into English.

Finally, András asks: "What is the difference between a Scotsman and an Englishman after he cuts his hair bald?".

The rejoinder is quite simply unprintable but suffice to say that the Englishman celebrates his new haircut, while the Scot has been selling his locks to make wigs and goes on to sell some of his bodily fluids too. The Herald opts not to put this one to the Tartan Army.

Over in the fan zone, Richárd is preparing to take in Poland vs Austria with a friend. He agrees to tell a joke but says, "please don't be offended".

His gag is this: what does a Scotsman contribute to the building of a swimming pool? Two bottles of water.

At least one item of Magyar mockery causes something of a family schism when put to the Tartan Army. It goes a little something like this: the Scotsman is on his death bed, and he asks if his wife is beside him. 'Yes honey, I'm here', she replies. The man then asks where his son is. 'Here, father'. Finally, he asks if his daughter is by his side. 'Yes, daddy, here I am'. The Scotsman says, 'then why is the f*****g light on in the other room?'.

When this joke is put to Iain, there are chuckles from his own wife and daughter. There's a pregnant pause. "Is there a joke here, somewhere?". A bone of contention at home, one suspects.

We try another on Jennie. The Scotsman goes to the doctor and says, 'doctor, doctor! I've got splinters in my tongue!'. The doctor asks how that could possibly have happened. 'Well, it all started when I dropped my whisky on the floor...'. Jennie cringes. "No." she says, with a slight giggle. "3/10."

The one about the Scotsman, trapped in a taxi plummeting into a ravine, asking the driver to turn the meter off gets a 2/10 from a Tartan Army footsoldier in the fan zone, while the one about being able to spot a Scottish house by the toilet paper drying on the washing line gets a solid 0 from a man named Barry.

Finally, we speak to Zoltán who is draped in a Hungarian flag as he walks down the street.

"My Scottish joke?" he says. "That the Scottish team is going to beat Hungary on Sunday..."