American Reacts - DAVID MITCHELL'S SoapBox - Dear America...

[@WezMan444]

I was born in the UK but I live in the Midwest United States and everybody here says “I could care less” and “hold down the fort” and it drives me crazy. I’ve sent this video to a few people and they all think I’m weird lol

[@jeffrey44]

What does the 444 at the end of your username signify?

[@annother3350]

@@jeffrey44 KZbin adds the numbers after our names

[@craigchristian344]

Americans lol

[@jeffrey44]

@@annother3350 I added my own numbers, thank you very much.

[@annother3350]

@@jeffrey44 I didnt !

[@Dr_KAP]

I was watching a live court trial not long back, it was in the U.S. Anyway the defendant took the stand and at one point said “I could care less” and the (American) prosecutor (barrister) said “you mean you couldn’t care less” ? The defendant said “huh”. The prosecutor said well did you care or not care. The defendant was just so confused 😂

[@irreverend_]

I love the entire series of his soapbox rants, they're all on KZbin, well worth a watch

[@RobertTaylor-gz2fu]

Which is the best?

[@irreverend_]

@RobertTaylor-gz2fu All of them really, they're best watched in order though, a couple refer to the previous week's one.

[@CMDRRustyDog]

I've only ever seen this one but I would like to see more of them.

[@rickb3645]

I'm always amused by how Americans say the name Craig... They pronounce it as Creg... We pronounce it as Crayg. 🤣

[@brigidsingleton1596]

I am not "amused" by incorrectly pronounced English words, particularly names. Instead it causes me to feel great ire at the errors. Graham or Graeme as Gram, Craig as Crag or Creg, Anthony as An_thony_ instead of Antony (even with the 'th' it's still Antony). Plus Mirror as "meer" 😠 the list goes on and on and on and on and on and on and F🦆ING on. My daughter opines that "it's just their accent!" But...to my ears it's just f🦆ing annoying. I don't mispronounce Mackinac since learning it's pronounced Mackinaw. Why can't Americans learn to say our words properly too. They can say their own words as wrong as they like...but not ours. End Of Rant. (For now!!) 😮😕🖖

[@michaelkobylko2969]

I hear Americans say "I could care less" all the time. Seen it in comment sections. I'm with David. I mostly couldn't care less how Americans happen to use the language, but "could care less" doesn't work for what they're trying to convey.

[@iwatchyoutube9610]

A tent is not a fort. Feel free to say "Hold down the tent"

[@hughtube5154]

If you watch Community they make blanket forts.

[@hexedriffsstudio]

Splitting hairs!

[@martymcdermott67]

We all love David Mitchell's angry logic 😀

[@Ventripotent]

In the US I feel like I hear "could care less" at least 80% of the time when "couldn't" is what they should be saying and it's one of those minor annoyances that somehow seem far more major to me.

[@ndboulton]

I'm sure I've heard them say 'i could care less' on friends before..

[@irreverend_]

I've heard it constantly all over US TV and film, and it's very annoying, I fully agree with Mitchell :)

[@MikeDuddy-q2t]

The whole not pronouncing H is something Karl Pilkington is the goat for. "You know how you taught me about Itler..."

[@MrGBH]

As a person from the area where the H avoids, we still pronounce it as herb. It's just about the only time we ever bother with it

[@krashd]

3:40 You're Argentinian though, David is talking about Americans, and they do say "I could care less" all the time, that expression turn up in movies and TV shows regularly.

[@MandyCaneLane]

I was born and raised in California and meet other Americans all the time 🤗

[@RobertTaylor-gz2fu]

Another in this series is about choosing baby names, yet years later DM saddled both his daughters with elderly names!

[@RobertTaylor-gz2fu]

@@EaterOfBaconSandwiches Whichever of them chose those elderly names chose to not use common sense, despite being very well-educated.

[@chocolate-teapot]

Mitchell is relentless while trying to prove a point.

[@direnova6284]

I've heard many Americans (Hilary Clinton to mention one) use could care less. It's rare to hear them say it right though a couple have and it's always been part of a rant about why their fellows say could.

[@Ldn1993]

I’m from east London and we drop the H and T in most words 😂

[@MandyCaneLane]

Is "ouch, that hurt" = "ouch ah ur" ? 🤔🤪

[@Ldn1993]

@MandyCaneLane 😂😂😂 usually a ‘th’ will sound more like a ‘d’, so “ouch dat urt” (the t at the end will be very faint) 😜

[@wyterabitt2149]

It's the difference between the base language, and regional accents. In the base American accent, the word herb has no "h" when pronounced. Some people in America might not say it that way, but those people will know that is their accent and how to say it correctly in American English. The same in the UK. Lots of regional accents, but they all know that is the accent part and how it would be said correctly in standard English. David isn't complaining about regional accent but the base standard language being taught.

[@mlee6050]

​@Ldn1993I put emphasis believe is the word on t at end

[@WinstonSmith19847]

I'm from a place about 30 miles from London and sometimes I do that and sometimes I don't it depends how posh I'm feeling at the time. Both my parents are from London that may be why my mother was from Peckham Del Boy country.

[@88Switches]

The ''erbs'' bit was indeed from Dress to Kill, and Eddie's full name is now Suzy Eddie Izzard. He uses either he or she and has said either is fine.

[@Briansgate]

David Mitchell is one of the best comedians out there.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

ps - I take your point about cockneys for example not pronouncing the letter "h" but there is a discernible difference between cockney 'erbs and US erbs. The cockney version is exactly like the full word with literally just the "h" lopped off whereas the US version has a sort of collapsed start and a bit more "r" ... I know what I mean 😂

[@MandyCaneLane]

🤨🤣

[@LordMorbannaon]

I know what you mean. The US version sounds like 'urbs' compared to the various UK accents that drop 'h' which sounds like 'erbs'

[@CallingOutGhouls]

Strange how they pronounce the H in Herb if it's a dude's name but not if it's the plant herb.🤔

[@MandyCaneLane]

Good point 🤔

[@dyseskytten1]

@@MandyCaneLane British English adopted the word from French without the H and pronounced it like the Americans until 1800s when they put an H in front of it and changed the pronunciation. So Americans are actually using the originally pronunciation with the "modern" spelling.

[@YouTubeWatcher9000]

I’m American and the saying “I could care less” has annoyed me since I was a kid because it doesn’t make sense. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I found out from this video that Brits say it correctly.

[@pj_naylor]

Maybe the fort is a bouncy castle? They certainly need holding down.

[@MandyCaneLane]

Hahaha! Exactly 🤣

[@10thdoctor15]

Tents aren't forts, except in the same way as the expression is used - for a place that people inhabit.

[@knoxpuffer]

"Hold down the fort" is an interesting one, because I've seen movies and TV shows where they say exactly that. :D

[@asterix7842]

“A device has yet to be invented that will measure my indifference to this remark.” - Hawkeye Pierce, M*A*S*H

[@Dextrous]

America is more than happy with uranium, sodium, helium and plutonium but draws the line at aluminium! 😬 Leisure is another good one as Izzard also points out, you say LEE-zhur, we say Lie-ZUR-ai-AY 😆 Good to have you back on our screens Mandy!

[@stingersplash]

I loved this series so actually bought it on DVD.

[@jamesdignanmusic2765]

The rest say "soft drink", like they do here in New Zealand, and in the UK the name is BUR-nud. Good to know I'm not the only person to talk nicely to spiders! :) By the way, 6:50 - your backdrop *almost* fills in a bit more of David's body!

[@MandyCaneLane]

Soft drinks! That was it, thank you! And lol, the lines are so close! 🤣

[@jameshumphreys9715]

In wicked Glinda said, " I could less " to which Elphba corrects her, " You mean, couldn't care less. " I'm sure either is correct with the Fort.

[@Roberto_79]

I loved David Mitchell‘s soapbox in it. I really wish he would come back and do some more, and maybe get Victoria to do some too

[@riculfriculfson7243]

He's right. Job done.

[@stevebills5716]

This will be the first Christmas watching The Santa Clause knowing that Bernard the elf is called BerNARD because he's American and not because he's a fantasy figure. 🙂

[@jeffrey44]

This is an old video. David Mitchell appears here as a beardless single childless boy or young man. In real life, he has a beard, a wife, and at least two children. I bet he doesn't have that shirt any more though, assuming it was his in the first place. As you get older, you buy new shirts and old ones get discarded along the way. That's just life.

[@martinford1644]

Another thing American's seem to say is if someone accidentally spits a bit they might say "You spit on me" instead of "You spat on me" Spat because its in the past tense. "I could care less" however drives me up the wall, its just wrong.

[@ElGordo1959]

6:30 the way you "thought" that made sense, was "intense"! 🙃

[@bungle0h521]

did the spider help? is it your new pet? welcome back to my screen, missed your giggles

[@AndrewBush-d2j]

Drinking white cider strong alcohol at the moment good video as usual David Mitchell is a genius a very clever man a true brit 😊😊

[@madjock-ig5bv]

A tent is not a fort! A fort is a military building designed to be defended from attack, consisting of an area surrounded by a strong wall, in which soldiers are based. That is the actual meaning of a fort. So to "hold down the fort" is just wrong.

[@jonbolton3376]

We pronounce Bernard as 'burn - ud'.

[@MandyCaneLane]

Ohhh! Noted 🤭

[@papaquonis]

honest, hour, heir, honour

[@FlyingFox86]

Ah yes, I remember David's short career as a youtuber.

[@myopicautisticmetal9035]

Karl face at 4:07, I also bargain with the spiders in my house, they ignore me. Herbs because there's a fucking H in it! Some folks have a T phobia in certain words, they can't say Mountain it's mou in.

[@MandyCaneLane]

Hahaha! Never thought a normal face of mine was comparable to Karl's. 😭

[@ChrisRaeAdmin]

The fort, your excuse that when you a child and thought it might be a pillow fort. When I was a child I thought as a child. Fair enough what's your excuse now?

[@MandyCaneLane]

Never gave it a second thought. Haven't encountered a fort or a tent since

[@rooroo9216]

You were like Walter White with that mosquito at the start lol

[@MandyCaneLane]

Lmao!

[@j.lahtinen7525]

You haven't heard anyone say "I could care less"? 😮Lucky you! I see it everywhere, in written comments, as well as spoken - it seems to be so common that I'm genuinely afraid that it'll replace the correct form.

[@jasongates-]

It's silly that they needed to make this skit correcting USA's grammar. At the same time, I'm glad they did. Just for American English (not even UK to USA), I've heard so many grammatical errors, so often, over so many years, by so many people, that I wished someone would take time to explain the correct way. Like this skit did. So I'm glad they made it. I know they were being silly. But it was still needed seriously. English classes should do skits like this to teach the students. 5:01 He looks like he's staring down a bully. Some people in America say "herb" with the "H," but it was later on that I started hearing people pronounce it that way. Lets all get together to donate to Mandy so that she can buy furniture.

[@julianusvictor327]

Depending on the accent if you want to know how we pronounce a word, chop off a few letters at random and you'll be close enough 😆

[@trevorlsheppard7906]

😊😊😊😊😊 Good one Mandy , if you haven't seen David Mitchell doing grammar Nazis have a look,extreme but hilarious ❤❤.

[@slimpixie2404]

Yeah, the Queen put a brave face on it.. but it drove her to the grave in the end.. 😶😅

[@kenmercer8112]

on the graph, he's still sitting on a book. LOL you sound like your in a bigger room.

[@CMDRRustyDog]

As a Brit, I will concede Aluminum. Strangely it's how the Brits used to say it and the Americans said Aluminium, now it's switched. Two people claimed to have discovered it and the first person did indeed call it Aluminum. So, fair enough. At least I pronounce Porsche and GIF (i.e. JIF) correctly :) The thing I've noticed is if you watch virtually ANY American tutorial video on KZbin, you'll find that no-one can do anything without the need to 'go ahead and' do it. So instead of saying "Now I'm going to repair the window", it will be "Now I'm going to go ahead and repair the window" or if it's a car video, it might be "I'm going to go ahead and tighten the valve cover screws, then I can go ahead and replace the spark plugs.". It's so redundant and I'm genuinely curious how it got into the American lexicon. I guess I'll 'go ahead and' do some research :) But be sure, the Brits have some weird language stuff too that is beyond dialects. Although we do prefer to be asked to 'have a seat' rather than 'take a seat'. I find if you take it, they'll wonder where you're going with it. :) Brits will 'pop' around and see you or 'pop' to the shops. Brits will 'do up a house' as opposed to decorate or fix a house. Phrases like 'at the end of the day'... And of course the more widely used "4am in the morning" :) Quirks of the language. Some are annoying to hear when you know it's wrong, some are just parts of our differences. One more if I may - When people say 'The proof is in the pudding". There is no evidence to prove the point of the argument to be found in a desert (unless the argument is about the desert itself). The phrase is "The proof of the pudding is in the eating". Let's get back on track people!! Hehe :) Keeps things interesting.

[@MandyCaneLane]

Haha! Language can be so fun, especially when wrong though! Sometime you just got to laugh it off! And about the "go ahead" but in American tutoriald, I think it is just an awkwardness of filming something. Like an " I am going to shut up now and actually do this now". Just my guess though 🤪

[@iwasinnamuknow]

Even though the creator of the GIF claims the G should be pronounced J, I will eternally refuse. It is Graphics Interchange Format. We don't says jraphics, and until we do I will continue to pronounce it GIF :)

[@rasmusn.e.m1064]

I'm thinking that the phrase "go ahead and X" might have originated as a courtesy you could offer to others: "Go ahead and check out the living room, Mr & Mrs. Parsley." where it makes sense because you are giving someone permission to start early or literally go ahead of yourself. This might be part of why it has made it into tutorials: It's showing someone else how to do something, so some of the language you use when instructing someone else actually doing the work might have seeped through. Either that or the phrase has simply become completely synonymous with the other prospective aspect markers in English, "will", "be going to", " be about to" "be fixing to", etc.

[@wyterabitt2149]

No, this is a myth. The first name it was given was "Alumium", because the "ium" was obviously correct. For a short period he changed it to "Aluminum", but scientists thought removing the "ium" was silly and the person who named it agreed in the end. So everyone, including the US for a while amusingly, settled on "Aluminium". In the US, for no reason at all "Aluminum" started creeping back into everyday language, and when they standardised it instead of correcting this they doubled down. The US doesn't use the original name, doesn't use the widely accepted standard English name, and just to add to how funny it is they are the ones that changed from the standard name back to the random second name it had for a short period. In over 40 years, living across the country (including Wales and Scotland), I have never heard someone say 4am in the morning. Ever. I would have been very confused by it. 4 in the morning is normal. 4am on it's own is rarer, but occasionally happens. Do up a house tends to be a bit more vague on purpose rather than going into details. Decorating a house is just that. Fixing is fixing the house. "Doing up", or "fixing up", both are general and just mean you have things to do without specifying. "Pop" referring to a short time is from the 1500s, and where "popping around" or "to" comes from. Not strange at all, you are going to go there for a short time specifically not take your time or for a long visit. Pop to the shop is telling someone you won't be long.

[@LordMorbannaon]

If we're going on to phrases rather than words: 'Blood is thicker than water' -used to say family is more important, when the full phrase is 'The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb' -meaning the _opposite_ , that the bonds we choose are stronger/more important than those we are born into. 'Have your cake and eat it' - yes, that's what you do with cake. 'Eat your cake and have it too' - meaning to both eat the cake, but still have it left afterwards. 'Curiosity killed the cat' -used to discourage curiosity, but forgetting the important second part ' _but satisfaction brought it back_ ' 'Jack of all trades, master of none'...... ' _though oftentimes better than master of one_ ' -someone skilled in a single thing is better at the thing, but will often be stumped in things outside that specific area. There's many others, and a lot of the time they've been warped to mean the opposite of what they were originally intended to convey.

[@keithguinan4057]

Great that you're checking these out. About dropping the "h" sound... There's this 'airy Chinese kid...

[@MandyCaneLane]

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYIN'! 🤣🤣

[@LordMorbannaon]

Dropping 'h' from _all_ words is an accent or dialect. Dropping it from just the word 'herb' and its derivatives is a deliberate choice, and just makes the speaker sound daft.

[@Will-nn6ux]

I've heard a suggestion that when people say "I could care less", there is an unspoken "but it would be difficult...".

[@CommissionerSleer]

That's probably how it started: as ironic/sarcastic (I suppose I could care less). But it doesn't seem to be how it's used by most people now.

[@overfiend1978]

Dude, another one Americans say is 'on accident', which just sounds off

[@MandyCaneLane]

Damn, you're right! 🤣

[@Gilgie101]

The people who say I could care less are akin to people who say nuculer. Ive come across many who say either or both.

[@gdj6298]

Nuculer gets me too. Also, "I put her DRORING on my fridge.." Am I becoming a grumpy old git ? 😠 Great !😄

[@johngreen7619]

5:48 Somehow, "Fort" Knox seems a little less secure as a gold repository ... 🤔😏

[@MandyCaneLane]

Lmao! 🤣🤣

[@brigidsingleton1596]

I agree with David Mitchell and the _more Anericans mispronounce the English words we use_ , the _more_ I hate the American speech and spellings. David Mitchell is _NOT_ "ill-tempered,p" he is Correct.

[@hughtube5154]

The mosquito might be a Brazilian tourist and have the zika virus too. Merry Christmas!

[@GrilloTheFlightless]

I think that the issue with ‘erbs/herbs is possibly as follows. In the UK there has been a long-standing trope, going back longer than I can remember. It’s of taking English words that evolved from French and pronouncing them as French to try and sound post, important and clever when, in fact, it was regarded as sounding pretentious and ridiculous. Comedy shows like Keeping Up Appearances mocked this sort of thing frequently. I kind of get it. If the word has been adopted into English and it’s evolved in its own way to sound different then why would you not pronounce it according to the language you speak? If you’re French it’s ok, because you pronounce things in France differently anyway. The difference between Britain and America is that very few people in Britain say ‘erbs. When someone does, it stands out like a sore thumb and just sounds pretentious and laughable. In America, everyone is used to hearing it so it sounds fine. I don’t mind mind how Americans pronounce things (some might say I could care less😃). The language in the US is developing I. It’s own way like all languages do at some point. (although, Like David, I do take exception over “I could care less” for the same reasons!) But I do wonder why ‘herbs’ have been singled out from all the other words that originally came from French. If you pronounce ALL of them as if you were speaking g French, English would be a very different language. I love David Mitchell’s rants. This sort of faux anger for the camera that is so funny it offends nobody, and which are usually based in common sense. Great reaction as usual Mandy. You brighten our days as always. I hope you have Merry Christmas!

[@gio-oz8gf]

The silent 'H' is for a few words of French origin. The H is silent too in BE for words like hour, heir, and honest. Although David is portraying this as a comedy sketch, I have a strong suspicion that he truly means every word. Although seen as American today, candy, the fall, diaper, and sidewalk were originally British words that dropped out of usage in Britain. I'm sure there are many more. "I could care less" is a common American expression that is complete nonsense.

[@olaspaz3079]

The spider won't catch the mosquito. They never do. They're useless. They just make babies and then eat them.😠

[@MandyCaneLane]

I legit watched one the other day that was hunting a mosquito and then gave up when it got close enough to pounce 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@Dansgretski]

Highly Recommend" James Acaster & Ed Gamble's Best Hypothetical Moments " its like 25 mins long

[@Onnarashi]

Not from the UK or US (Norway), but I've seen at least one example of an American using "could care less" when they meant "couldn't care less", and I have to agree it doesn't make sense.

[@jeffnorwood-brown8407]

Oh, and we pronounce Bernard, Bear-nud. Well I do anyway :)

[@annother3350]

It's Burr-nudd you nutcase

[@DavidZ4-gg3dm]

Ber-nud

[@Crissy_the_wonder]

Mandy is talking to a spider... do you need help?

[@MandyCaneLane]

Do you speak spider? If not, I am good 🤪

[@hadz8671]

I always assumed "I could care less" was sarcastic - like "you'll be lucky."

[@RobertTaylor-gz2fu]

Why, when the former isn't usually said in a sarcastic way?

[@mattcc9435]

Haha (jajaja) really can't argue with your point on whole regions here not pronouncing the H, touche!

[@MandyCaneLane]

😎💅🏻

[@multeyemeteor]

Tents are famously not forts.

[@seijika46]

'erbs always makes me want to scream or some reason.

[@MandyCaneLane]

🤣🤣

[@WinstonSmith19847]

It's lilac for me I don't know why we say the A in lilac like a U and Americans say it the way it's spelt at least Laura Dern does in Jurassic Park.

[@andy2950]

Bern-nudd.

[@GmanHYoutube]

It's not like us brits don't have our grammer issues with sayings.

[@MandyCaneLane]

Exactly 😌

[@jeffnorwood-brown8407]

"Nail down the tent"?. Nail? Really? That's an expression I've not heard before. Also - why not nail down the other person. Or are they only light when they're in the tent? I'm hugely confused. :D

[@petermaguire2632]

He he, the Izzard person.

[@MandyCaneLane]

I can't keep up with the times 😅

[@DavidZ4-gg3dm]

Suzy Eddie Izzard!

[@AnthonyJohnson-ExzymtOne]

“That pisses me off.” Haha… I say “‘erbs.” Hope that spider catches that mosquito and puts it in its place. As always, fun vid. Always… and the echo, no need to worry about that. It’s all good.

[@perryedwards4746]

it's not stupid

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

New studio in the insect house at the zoo? How very intrepid of you.

[@MandyCaneLane]

🤣🤣🤣

[@spacebace]

It sounds like you are in an empty warehouse, lots of exho. Still gorgeous tho

[@MandyCaneLane]

I have no furniture yet 😅

[@spacebace]

@@MandyCaneLanewhat do you need, we can put an appeal out?

[@DavidZ4-gg3dm]

@@MandyCaneLane What happened to the furniture from the last place you lived at?

[@MrFalconhead]

When we talk about Americans, That's not you lol, otherwise we would say South Americans.

[@YouTubeWatcher9000]

She was born in the US

[@MandyCaneLane]

Born and raised in California darlin' 😉

[@MrFalconhead]

@@MandyCaneLane ah damnit well i take that back regarding you then. I had no idea mb I thought you were from South America. I missed the vids where you might have said it.

[@andy2950]

Tents not forts 😅

[@MandyCaneLane]

Potato/tomato

[@ray-w9r7b]

That's a female mosquito. Long eyelashes

[@MandyCaneLane]

Lmao, extentions 🤣

[@robg1151]

Does hold the fort make much sense either when in reality what a person means is to defend the fort. I mean you can’t literally hold a fort can you but you can literally defend a fort. So take that Mitchell.

[@MandyCaneLane]

Haha, I like it! 🤣

[@DavidZ4-gg3dm]

Holding a place means defending it from the enemy.

[@robg1151]

@ I know that means that to me and you but the definition of hold is no where near the more accurate description, that being which to defend. Defending the fort should be the go to description not holding the fort.

[@donkfail1]

Maybe the spider gets a fever when eating the mosquito, and then the spider bites you and you'll become Fever Woman - the sickest super hero!

[@MandyCaneLane]

Hahahhaha! 🤣🤣

[@ToniMcGinty]

I, for one, like "I could care less". In my mind, it means that one cares so little about something that they're actually being sarcastic about how little they care.

[@CMDRRustyDog]

It's not sarcasm. It's just being said incorrectly, that's all.

[@ToniMcGinty]

@@CMDRRustyDog I said in my mind.

[@jeffrey44]

This is the most racist thing I have ever seen and I watch a lot of racist content.

[@EnigmaTimGaming]

This is the dumbest YT comment I have seen in a very long time, and I see a lot of dumb YT comments.

[@RobertTaylor-gz2fu]

DM doesn't mention race, nor does MCL.

[@ericforsyth]

Weird flex, but ok

[@Silver_Specter]

I heard a rumour that Mandy will be doing Omegle videos soon dressed as a clown and yelling slurs at every race or speciality that she sees... Oh wait no that was another American

[@jeffrey44]

@@RobertTaylor-gz2fu American is a race.

[@daryl9434]

Stephen Fry once said during an episode of QI that he liked David's angry logic. 🤣 I'm gonna say that it doesn't bother me much, either. (I'd be lying, but out of politeness, I'll refrain from a bandwagon rant). 😂 Just one. On accident, unnecessarily grinds my gears. Popularised usage means that now, when I type this, I don't have a grammar change suggestion. 🫠

[@friendlyneighbourhoodsteve4087]

I wonder if the whole 'I could care less' thing came about in the US from someone saying it sarcastically, in which case it does actually work! Whatever the case, I'll head off, and you stick around and hold down the tent fort. 🤭🤪🫶