Dear America | David Mitchell’s Soapbox REACTION

#DavidMitchell #DearAmerica
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Jodi and Nick react to another Soapbox from David Mitchell. This time he has some phrasing advice for Americans that, according to him, say things wrong. He’s probably right.
original video found: • Dear America... | Davi...
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[@CymruEmergencyResponder]

Your explanation about ‘hold down the fort’ just proves his point. You said that you hold it down to make sure it doesn’t go anywhere, which doesn’t make sense. A fort is an immovable object. It won’t go anywhere. Hold in the context of ‘hold the fort’ means to retain physical possession of the fort.

[@vilebrequin6923]

Spot-on, matey.

[@michaeldowson6988]

Hold that thought!

[@mikkosimonen]

@@michaeldowson6988 *Hold down that thought

[@AlanXEverfrost]

I agree. Hold down makes no sense. "Hold the lead position" or something is proof that the "hold" doesn't mean to raise something up. It means to keep possesion of.

[@Varksterable]

@cymru.. As I read your post, it was in the internal vocal intonation of David Mitchell. Gg

[@IanDarley]

Could 'of' drives me nuts when I'm reading through my colleague's emails. It makes me feel like a school teacher, I feel tempted to circle them all in red pen and send them back.

[@thedearjohnblog]

You sound like a fellow 'grammar nazi', as my eldest used to call me. I just can't help myself.

[@stuartmcivor2276]

British people do that as well - it's really annoying! ('it's' by the way).

[@ct5625]

The worst one for me is when Americans say "whenever I" instead of "when I", and they don't mean on multiple occasions. Why? It makes no sense.

[@kevboard]

everyone who writes "could of" should be tarred and feathered!

[@Dr_KAP]

Same I absolutely can’t stand it

[@Codex7777]

The difference is, that 'hold' a position is a genuine term, used mainly in military terminology, which is where the phrase originates. "Hold" has more than one meaning. Something it has in common with most words. "Hold down" is also a common phrase whose meaning is understood. "Hold down the fort" is a clear case of somebody having mixed their metaphors. It's similar to somebody saying 'a stitch in time spoils the broth'. Totally nonsensical. I accept that repeated usage, over the years, may have given 'hold down the fort" more or less the same meaning as 'holld the fort' but even that explanation would merely demonstrate that "down" is totally superfluous and indicative of it's mixed metaphor origins. ;) :P :)

[@karry299]

> "Hold down" is also a common phrase Really ? How often does any average person have to literally "hold down" anything ? An average USian policeman perhaps has to regularly hold down blacks to kill them later, but anyone else ?

[@Souledex]

I mean we all say Television which is linguistic arch heresy. We’ve gotta catch these things early less they get out of hand.

[@bobbyboko6317]

Clutching at straws with hold down the Fort 🤣🤣

[@AgentOccam]

Nick got how they say "research' right with his second go. It's re-SERCH, rather than RE-serch.

[@AndyNightingale]

No hatred here, but you are wrong. If two armies are at war, and one of them is inside a fort; then they are HOLDING the fort. If the other army blockades the fort, or kills everyone and takes over the fort (or takes hold of the fort) from the defenders; then THEY are now HOLDING THE FORT..!! Happy New Year. 👍

[@TheToledoTrumpton]

It is research, not reesearch, short e. My pet peeve is momentarily used for "In a moment" instead of "For a moment". When I'm in a plane I cant stave off the momentary panic, when the pilot says we will be taking off momentarily.

[@another3997]

As an English person, one of my pet hates is when Americans say something such as "real good" or "real heavy". The word they are looking for is "really". "This is a real thing and we found it really interesting". You see... it's really quite simple. 😁 Just don't get me started on your version of Aluminium or the way you pronounce "Data" as "DaYDA". 😂

[@avengemybreath3084]

You spell aluminum wrong.

[@somthingbrutal]

for me it's the phrase "on accident " rather than "by accident"

[@seth1455]

who on earth says "on accident" ?

[@somthingbrutal]

@@seth1455 heard lots of Americans use that phrase On accident

[@seth1455]

@@somthingbrutal I should have known

[@stephenhitchen8753]

Came across your chanel a few week ago, absolutely love i, please carry on the good work.👍👍

[@BoringReviews]

Appreciate that. Always great to hear kind words.

[@keeperofthecheese]

"Riserch" vs "Reesearch" "Leshur" vs "Leesure" "Herbal" vs "erbal"

[@perryedwards4746]

The wonderful David Mitchell!!

[@letsinvest2445]

Yes more UK comedy reactions please - especially David Mitchell on Would I Lie to You

[@winchy162]

My pet peeve is the Americans that say axed instead of asked sounds like some lunatic on a rampage with a sharp object 🤣🤣🤣

[@tomarmstrong5244]

Using 'axed' like that is common in North East England, and is derived from the Old English 'acsian' to question.

[@winchy162]

@@tomarmstrong5244 I'm a southerner I didn't know that still don't like it though 🤣

[@BoringReviews]

It drives me crazy too. But it’s cultural for some racial groups in the US. I’ve never understood it. Same with mines for mine

[@njones420]

Haha, never seen this before. "I could care less" really bugged me when I lived in the US, I feel like I've given that speech to a few people XD (oh, and "on accident" rather than "by accident")

[@vilebrequin6923]

It is the same non-sequitur as "cheap at half the price". Utterly meaningless. It would be cheap at twice the price, however, makes perfect sense.

[@group-music]

@@vilebrequin6923 I think cheap at half the price is supposed to be comic version of the correct phrase. Like "What can I do you for?"

[@vilebrequin6923]

@group-music really? Well, if it is, it doesn't hit the mark!

[@FrowningIke]

I lived in the US for 10 years and my Mother in Law was a middle school teacher. I told her that Americans pronounce T as a D. She looked puzzled so I told her that in restaurants if I asked for a bottle of water I'd get the deer in the headlights look from the server. They had no idea what I was saying so I learned to pronounce it as "A boddle o' warder." I truly think that's why our accents slowly change if living somewhere else. You get tired of repeating yourself.

[@davidfuters7152]

How long has there been a “W” in Jaguar .Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr It drives me mad

[@Caerdan]

Brit here. A few others - we dont pronounce the C in schedule, so its more like 'shed-ule', the term 'cheers' has much wider meaning so that its a way of saying thanks/goodbye (like getting out a taxi you would say 'cheers drive'). Its also common to say 'ta' instead of thanks too. We also call it a motorway instead of the freeway, and A rail road we call a railway, and the station is a railway station rather than a train station.

[@soulgalorememories9921]

Fi-nance......Harrass-ment. You know, us Brits just love to wind you Americans up about the English language - spoken or spelling, we just raise our eyes in mock surprise. We are alike in more ways than either can admit, but this language topic is all good fun and friendly - the "Should of" I stead of the "Should have" grates on me more than anything and the young English seem to do it more than anyone. David Mitchell is very entertaining when he goes on these rants.....just like the guy in the pub that has views on everything - more David Mitchell please .

[@thedearjohnblog]

If you want to go with 'hold down the fort', do you also want to 'hold down the line'? And we say it Alum-in-ium, but you're not the first to find that one weird. Have a good one both.

[@eternallearner4753]

I think it’s usual practice (🇬🇧) to stress the second syllable of a word with more than two syllables, hence the “search” of research is stressed. Glad you don’t take our cousinly joshing too seriously. Years ago I read, online, a clip from a newspaper circa 1850 where an American tourist in England claimed (quite correctly, I think) that no nation butchers it’s own language more than the English. You may care less, but I couldn’t of put it better, in it? Love your reactions ❤

[@eternallearner4753]

I’ve just realised that “research” only has two syllables. Which is worse, my grammar or my math(s)?!!!!!

[@gpr127]

I tried to resist but I have to respond to your defence of "hold down the fort". The 'holding' of the fort is in a militaristic sense like you would 'hold the line' or 'hold' a position against the enemy.

[@Max_Flashheart]

Learning about these differences is insight into people and places but also quality content.

[@mauricecasey866]

Good work guys. Hold up the fort!👍

[@jamesrowe3606]

I silently judge people who say "could of". Sorry (not sorry).

[@tomarmstrong5244]

Around 1980 I had a brief but intense fling with an American girl who, on hearing my English (Geordie) accent asked what we English had against 'football coaches'. She had recently returned from England and had noticed, while driving on our motorways (freeways), large signs at most service stations (rest stops) saying 'No football coaches allowed'. She thought the reference was to people who coached (trained) football (soccer) teams.

[@jcstato9048]

😂😂

[@jumpjet777]

Rumour has it that Jurgen Klopp is still stuck on the M6 ..........

[@heliotropezzz333]

@@jumpjet777 But he's a manager not a coach. Americans tend to call football managers coaches but in Europe they are 2 different things and a coach might even be called a trainer.

[@johnhewett9483]

Finance and harassment we say the same as you. I would pronounce aluminium like this: á loo min yum. Happy new year to you both

[@gdj6298]

@@group-music Yes, they don't say 'Magnes-um', or 'Potass-um', or 'Calc-um'. But they're not going to change. So Sod-um

[@dalbhuie_youtubeaddedanumber]

Glad your enjoying the Soapbox, there are a lot of good videos there, such as the one about the mouse. Just be sure and save his amazing take on necrophilia till last. You might want to consider his look at Compliments and also his study o the word Passionate, those might be right up your alley.

[@euanator301]

I assume he would say rih-search? But I would say Ree-search myself, maybe it’s an Americanism and I didn’t even realise

[@jehanariyaratnam2874]

I agree the "could care less" expression makes no sense!

[@richardhague801]

the phrase that gets under my skin a little is "lucked out" - I'm from New Zealand which is heavily influenced by British english and to me that literally means you ran out of luck i.e. "I went online to buy tickets to U2 but lucked out because they had all sold." a positive phrase would be you "got lucky", "had a spot of luck"

[@cerdicw9998]

Yes. Good job Daft Punk were not American…!

[@RakkiXIII]

You did run out of luck, because you "spent" it all on the lucky event

[@willmark100]

Very interesting to listen to you guys

[@ianoo23]

It makes a lot of sense that an American would say hold down the fort as they use the phrase hold down a job which basically means they try hard not to lose that job with other things in their life sometimes getting in the way. I read somewhere that the reason America took the ‘o’ out of words like colour or valour was partly down to printing and being charged per letter so some words had letters removed where they weren’t necessary as the word is still spoken the same.

[@joeasher2876]

"Waiting on..." Is the most annoying one because we have a perfectly clear expression to indicate when you are waiting for something, it's "waiting for...". For example, if I said I was"waiting for a train" then you would know that I am waiting for a train. If you said "I'm waiting on a train" then it sounds like you are already on the train waiting for it to leave rather than waiting in the station for it to arrive. Two different scenarios, which you had a good way of expressing but choose to make it unclear.

[@Tj-ot4jp]

Oh Lord! "hold the fort from enemy attack" or "hold down the fort from enemy attack! I know which one makes sense to me as it was derived from a military phrase.

[@somniumisdreaming]

Write you. That one always gets me.

[@Chancer02]

No no no. We didn't change the English language. It was an American of British descent, Noah Webster who changed it. I love your channel by the way.

[@SarthorS]

You hold the fort just as you hold the line. You don't have officers shouting to the men to hold down the line during an attack.

[@gritnix]

Hilarious that anyone actually found these old clips. These are so funny.

[@DS-uy6jw]

"Hold the fort" makes sense in the same way that "hold your ground" does. You don't "hold down the ground" because...what is the word "down" describing? Hold yourself together, not hold yourself down together. The word down has zero context. Would you say to a person holding a branch "hold on!..down?"

[@overthewebb]

One that drives me insane as a Brit is the word Buoy, it's hardly used as a word, but still, Americans pronounce it Boo-ee. We in the UK say Boy, but if you ask an American how they say the word 'Buoyant' then the correct pronunciation should be clear

[@phueal]

I’m afraid you’re incorrect about “hold down”, the only reason that sounds right to you is because it’s in common use. But “hold” is the correct military term: you “hold territory”, “hold the line”, “hold this ground”, “hold fast”, etc. You can’t say “Ukraine managed to hold down the line”, or “make sure you hold down this ground.” etc.

[@cerdicw9998]

Interestingly, a lot of US words are actually 17th and 18th Century British usage. It is British English that has changed in the last couple of hundred years. So, for example, faucet and fall were used in the UK when the American colonies were founded, but have been replaced by tap and autumn.

[@theotherside8258]

I see a tap as a valve levered by a some sort of wheel doing a rotating motion. A faucet as a valve with just a single lever attached at one end to open close it. People got imprecise

[@dylansharkey6040]

Diapers to nappies is another one

[@revbenf6870]

Really interesting, never knew that, thanks!

[@nickwake5484]

This fallacious. There are and have always been dozens of different accents and associated colloquialisms in Britain, constantly developing and changing. What you are suggesting would mean that there was a homogeneous British tougue in the past, also that US English has been a verbal Dead End for two centuries. This isn't the case. This has been made up by US'ers in the past to moralise and differentiate with English during the times when Britain wasn't quite so popular there and has sort of stuck.

[@occamraiser]

Not that simple. A handful of words like 'trash' are older, originally English usage/vocabulary. But just look at what Webster did with his dictionary. As an anti-british lexicographer he took every conceivable opportunity to bastardise English spellings and pronunciations. AND may I just say 'Aluminimum' is the name of the metal, America doesn't get to simply drop a syllable from the name of an element. By the way, even webster's website attests that Autumn was the 14th Century English word for the season of harvests. So no, I don't accept that Autumn has been introduced since the colonies were established.

[@macca2694]

Should check out the British sitcom called Upstart Crow. The tv show was written especially for David Mitchell as William Shakespeare

[@drmikebass]

What's more interesting than the different words that we do use are the different words that we *don't* use. I was astounded to learn that "faucet" is in common use in many parts of the US. It's archaic to us Brits. Likewise, many (most?) Americans do not know how long a "fortnight" is. (It's 14 nights, i.e. 2 weeks.) My Californian friend told me it was something he thought Shakespeare would have said. :-)

[@BoringReviews]

Fortnight is something that has been understood more as of recently in my circles at least as the kids play the game. We educated adults will ask them if they know what a fortnight is.

[@stewedfishproductions7959]

While in Wisconsin on business, I used the word 'fortnight' during a seminar talk... At the end, when doing the Q&A session, it came out that not one person (all Americans), knew what it meant !? I was so 'gobsmacked' (LOL), that's the one thing that has remained in my mind 20 years on...

[@maxmoore9955]

AKS FOR ASK .is the one that winds me up. Ho and scouser saying Lolly ice ,instead of Icelolly.

[@juliehydemew4575]

The U was taken out of words in American during the days of telegraphs. Each letter cost money. It was a way to send understandable messages in English that cost less.

[@zaftra]

Hold still, hold on, it means stay.

[@Christobanistan]

But the fort isn't going to walk away. I think the "down" was just added because it sounds a little more fun.

[@deformatekjv]

Hold the Fort is the same as hold this position.

[@MichaelYoder1961]

You should check out Mitchell & Webb Grammar Nazi sketch. And Foyer - it's not "Foy-err" it's "Foy-ay" (a French word)

[@donmurray3638]

Bill Bryson ("I come from Des Moines. Well somebody had to!") is an adopted British travel writer and author who has written a lot about words, and one book about the differences between US and British usage. A lot of words we here think of as Americanisms started life in England, but traveled with migrants and were preserved in the USA. "Made in America" isn't so dry as it sounds!

[@EnglishRalph]

I think (although I haven’t fact checked myself) that Bryson says it’s our fault that the Americans say aloominum, because somewhere along the way the naming convention for elements changed and the rest of the world forgot to tell them we’d done so. I generally trust Bryson so I begrudgingly accept the American way of saying it.

[@AgentOccam]

In New Zealand usually we say 'finance' the way Nick does. The short 'i' version is weird to my ear. Here we are influenced, for obvious historical reasons, by British pronunciation, but because of the ubiquity of American pop-culture, also by the USA, so we often have both pronunciations. For example, I doubt I'd notice if someone said "research" the way you do or the way the Queen does. I could care less.

[@barriehull7076]

I always pickup on how in the UK there is/are people who say result in two ways, re sult or res ult, and tung or tong for tongue. I held down a job for 33years. I live near Leigh, pronounce lie, Leigh, historically spelled, or is that spelt, Lyghe, up north, Leigh in Lancashire it's pronounced lee. Just as an aside, Leeds Castle is in Kent not in Leeds, Yorkshire. Every time I watch you channel I say "I must recheck your cricket channel, but as of yet have not. Belated Happy New Year.

[@BoringReviews]

Thanks for watching this channel. When you get a chance do check out cricket for Americans. We have a lot of fun there.

[@miketrevarrow9795]

One word that has come to light in another's americans video is the word BURGLARIZED, that just makes me laugh 🇺🇲🤣🤣🤣 BURGLARIZED really, in the UK, we would say BURGLED, I've just been burgled, and this has been done by a burglar

[@BoringReviews]

And that sounds funny to me. Burgled. Sounds like something the body does involving gas

[@miketrevarrow9795]

@@BoringReviews No, I think your thinking of the word gurgled for that particular function, but if you are unfortunate to have the misfortune to have been BURGALED , then that crime has been committed by one or a number of criminals So then by your logic they are to be called a BURGLAIZER or BURGLARIZERS ? not a BURGLAR or BURGLARS 🤣🤣🤣 You Americans certainly have the knack and certainly the knowledge of how to butcher the ENGLISH LANGUAGE ( The QUEENS English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿👍) 🤣🤣🤣 ❤️ 🇺🇲👍 American English ?

[@barriehull7076]

Apparently the u, b, and h in British spelling of certain words is down to the French. Ghost is said to be the only word still spelt with the h. Debt used to be spelled det, those examples IIRC may have come from BBC2 QI when Stephen Fry was still the presenter.

[@siobhanboyd3518]

Al- u-min-i-um. I lived in New York when I was 18 and the Yanks had a great time making fun of our energetic clothing ie, runners, and jumpers. They were blindsided when I pointed their obsession with sweat; sweat bands, sweatshirts, sweat pants, and sweat socks..

[@draugr7693]

For me it's 'I ain't done nothing' cos that means you did do something. The correct phrase is 'I didn't do anything'.

[@user-zu6ir6kj5g]

Repeat after me, "Al-um-in-yum"

[@bushchat28d]

Quite funny - but the pullover/cardigan/whatever you call it is just stunning 🙂

[@animaltvi9515]

It's a jumper. Cardigans and sweaters/jumpers/Jerseys are different. A Cardigan is open at the front like a shirt. A jumper etc isn't.

[@xandercurrie]

Have a nice day

[@philatkinson8051]

One I heard recently "invested interest" rather than "vested interest".

[@MetalMonkey]

About the car boot/trunk. My reasoning for why the British/Irish way makes sense is, cars are often referred to as she and back when cars were invented women wore bonnets and boots......the top of the car is the bonnet and the end is the boot

[@MRB-19]

No "boot" in British English is a corruption of the French word "boîte" - for box aka trunk

[@MetalMonkey]

@@MRB-19 You're probably correct but I like my reason and I came up with it all by my lonesome!! 😁😁

[@IanDarley]

I've noticed some Americans saying aluminium in the last couple of years (most metals in the periodic table have the 'ium' : magnesium, potassium lithium etc.. One of my teachers at school once said that America will eventually adopt the ium of aluminium and as soon as they do, we will add another one to stay aloof, making it aluminiumium. Joking of course..

[@laserpanda94]

The aluminium one is interesting. Most people think it's America just 'dumbing down' an existing English word but it's more complicated than that. The guy who discovered aluminium or categorised it or whatever the official process is originally called it aluminum, which is why Americans use it, but then was pressured to change the name by whatever British governing body dealt with these things at the time as it didn't fit with established naming conventions. As such, it became aluminium back in Britain but by the time word of the change had reached America it was already known as aluminum. There's a bit more to that story and I think there was a third name it was called at one point but that's the gist of it.

[@IanDarley]

@@laserpanda94 Yes, I had heard about this 👍

[@jameshumphreys9715]

Evan Edinger did the history of the pronounciation of Alminuim.

[@heliotropezzz333]

Aluminium (Br) Aluminum (US) Alminuim (nowhere)

[@sam04019491]

We say finance the way you do. Never heard it with a shortened fi sound.

[@ellesee7079]

I have noticed that Americans say 'bring' when I would say 'take', and the way you say aluminum is correct, because you spell it differently - aluminium in the UK. And if you think that spelling is crazy, we have 'gaol' for 'jail'! You keep things 'close to the vest' but we keep things 'close to the chest', but what really annoys me, is Ring o' Roses. Telling the tale of the plague death and symptoms. A circular rash, flowers to stifle the smell of buboes and puss (!), sneezing and finally death - Atishoo, atishoo, all fall down NOT ashes, ashes all fall down. Other than that, I think we can cope with the differences!

[@karry299]

>aluminium in the UK. And everywhere else in the world. USians are the only ones dumb enough to spell it wrongly.

[@kevinnorton7759]

We have a lot of different ways of saying things in England. I have a South Yorkshire dialect and accent, then there is scouse, Geordie, brummie cockney ,mancunian, cornish, west country and many more. We all say things in different ways.

[@rickb3645]

Eeh By Gum... Tha's Reyt Thano's Kev... Ta’ra Me Old Cocker. 😆👍

[@alexschofield944]

Hold the fort is a the correct phrase. In the military you’d be tasked with “holding a position” for example. Hold down the fort doesn’t make sense as it’s not going anywhere

[@aaronbarlow4376]

"could care less" has always driven me crazy. Also Americans who use double negatives when people say "I didn't do nothing" which means you DID do something. Aluminium has a freaking 'i' Aloo min-yum

[@seniorslaphead8336]

Amongst the various nails that Americans have hammered into the coffin of the English language I actually don't have a problem with Aluminum.

[@neuvocastezero1838]

I agree with your assessment of "hold down the fort", it's just as metaphorical as "hold the fort", and if enemies aren't currently besieging the fort, then you're "holding it down", making sure things don't go awry.

[@DILLYJENN]

What are you holding down? Is the Fort made of float away materials? Down is a useless addition to a phrase which already makes sense on it's own.

[@neuvocastezero1838]

​@@DILLYJENN It is an extra syllable, but makes just as much sense.

[@DILLYJENN]

@@neuvocastezero1838 so would you use hold down the line, or hold the line? Do you know that historically, it was hold the fought.....not hold down the fought which is an Americanism.

[@neuvocastezero1838]

@@DILLYJENNConceptually, "hold down the line" makes less sense. Ultimately, it's nbd.

[@saltireeire5775]

Holding it is battle talk from centuries the world over. It's probably a difference in education, America doesn't teach what is pretty standard in Europe regarding thousands of years of history and language history. In Scotland we get taught French and Gaelic, helps to better understand where English took their words from.

[@paultutty4302]

A lot of people in the uk copy American phrases like "I wanna say " & " I know right!!" I find it more annoying coming from a fellow Brit if I'm honest ,but its because we watch too much American TV I hate the long drawn out "and" In a usa accent though.... aaaaaannnnnnnd.

[@johnwhear9600]

We pronounce it 'al-u-min-ium' I think in the US you just break down the syllables differently and drop the last 'i'. Just glad Mitchell didn't get into the great route or route debate...

[@pem...]

Rowt, Lol. Silly innit!?

[@grahamtravers4522]

"Hold down the fort." This is an example of where Americans use tautological prepositions, such as continue ON, return BACK, rise UP, etc. Based on no research whatsoever, I suspect that it is due to the influence of German-speaking immigrants, as the German language has many separable verbs where the "preposition" part is placed after the main part of the verb.

[@jono.pom-downunder]

Hold the line means to maintain the line hold the fort maintain the fort perfect military terminology.

[@davidlawrence5091]

For research, Americans say 'ree search', while we would say 'research', less emphasis on that first syllable. Also it's pronounced 'A lu min e um', not 'A lum I num'

[@jjdecani]

Re "research". We stress the second syllable, as in re-SEARCH. That's all. :-)

[@timbomilko5367]

I was interested in learning why spelling was so different and when the change happened. Much of the official change appears to have happened through the intervention of Noah Webster (of Webster's Dictionary fame) at the beginning of the 19th century. It was, of course, not long after independence, and Webster was of a strong nationalist bent. Rather similar to Indian or African nationalists changing the names of countries and cities, the changes were to differentiate between and elevate a sense of national identity and exceptionalism. It is neither good nor bad, just an interesting evolution of language that is context based and sometimes of political origin. For example, changing Rhodesia into Zimbabwe, made perfect sense in terms of local ownership and undermining the colonial narratives made implicit by Cecil Rhodes. However, changing Culcutta into Kolkata, or Bombay into Mumbai, makes little sense outside the context of of the political theatre from which is emerged ... e.g. 'I can be more radical than you in asserting my nationalist credentials'. In deligitimizing the language of the colonial historical presence and asserting new 'American' rules, perhaps Noah Webster tends towards the later of the two examples.

[@patrickchilds2987]

Herbs 😂😂

[@themoderntemplar1567]

Al-yoo-minium is how we pronounce it guys. But remember in all four constituent countries of the UK we all have many more regional language words so you guys use what you want, pronounce it as you like for you'd be bamboozled by them and our pronunciation. David Mitchell is hilarious though. 👍😂

[@AlBarzUK]

Nah. You’ll never ever have a fort that needs to be held down. That just bananas. Research: the ‘search’ part is the main part so that’s what you stress (even if you feel you have to stress ‘re’ unnecessarily). The ‘re’ part is a prefix, like in ‘reward’, ‘redo’, ‘rework’ and some others I’ve tried to remind myself about… or rediscover…. (Although ‘re’ and ‘dis’ are both prefixed to ‘cover’ in that one.) The extra stress on ‘reee’ makes life as a resentful poet so much more stressful. It’s not respectful to poetic metre and needs redefining. Please rethink, USA.

[@BoringReviews]

But you will have a fort that needs to be held? Maybe for emotional support. But not literally. If you think about both they don’t make more sense. It’s all figurative anyways.

[@seth1455]

@@BoringReviews no S on the end of anyway......just sayin.

[@Jamienomore]

You are wrong about Hold Down The Fort. As an example If I said, 'Hold your Trousers', you know exactly what that means. If I said, 'Hold Down Your Trousers', you would be arrested.

[@ianrundle5862]

Yep!! You also couldn't spell "plough" so substituted "plow" and "gaol" was obviously also a challenge BECAUSE it became "jail".

[@williamjackson2089]

Why would it be necessary to hold down the fort when it ought to be secured to the ground? To hold the fort means make sure the enemy doesn't invade and take it. Davy Crockett and others held the Alamo, they didn't hold it down. Eventually they lost to superior numbers.

[@matthewcullen1298]

I don't know , I'm Australian and i say research the same as you.

[@chipsthedog1]

Please do QI how the tortoise got its name. David Mitchell is in the clip as is Stephen Fry and Sean Locke among others. I think you would love QI it questions are really interesting and the line up is always good Al the comedians you have come to love appear sooner or later

[@RolandjHearn]

Only because you were struggling to remember how the British world says it I will try a phonetic representation Al-ooo-min-ee-um. The difference in the spelling is just the extra "I". "Aluminium." I think this is a fairly old video - loved it by the way and your reaction was brilliant - but the "couldn't care less" thing seems to have been resolved for the most part. I have heard lots of people including Americans try to clarify this point and I think it has caught on. When we moved to Texas from Australia in the late 90's, however, every time I heard that phrase it was "could care less." The first time I heard it I thought, "oh you poor thing you are using a phrase that you have misheard." It took me a few encounters to realise that people were intending to say that. I started asking people what they meant by that phrase and they said they had no feelings on the issue. Well then why do you have some caring about the issue and they would universally say, "what, no I said 'I could care less.'" I just shrugged my shoulders. I finally asked my friend who was a very well educated Texan and a very good writer why people would say that, He said it was because they were idiots and could not be helped. I wish we had KZbin then, I would have carried this rant around in my pocket and showed them.

[@seth1455]

I think I would like your friend. My theory on the "could" issue is it stems from New York Jewish, they make a statement sound like a question. I could care less spoken in that New York way would at least make some sense

[@helenwood8482]

Yes, only Americans say hold down the fort and he's right that it is ridiculous. Forts do not move. We say finance fy-nance, so at least you have that right.

[@dylansharkey6040]

We both called them diapers but at some point we decided to change it to nappies bc we decided they look like napkins lol It’s probably not the only thing we changed

[@michaeldowson6988]

Diapers were named after the 'diaper' geometric decorative pattern.

[@Ingleborough111]

Research is said as you said it.

[@denysmace3874]

I was about to start ranting about all the annoying things slipping into modern English, but I fear it's a losing battle, and I'm off to watch Mitchell & Webb's Grammar Nazi sketch.

[@capablancauk]

Gaol not jail. See Oscar Wilde and hid "The ballad of Reading gaol"

[@MyPaddy2011]

No. It's not hold down the fort. To hold down the fort is akin to giving the reins of a horse to a friend and asking him to hold down the horse, when all you want him to do is to hold the horse.

[@wivenhoeessex]

Al-you-min-e-um - A-loo-min-um

[@crazyloonchooks]

inquiry vs inquiry

[@True_Heretic]

My favourite American phrase is - "He turned up missing". How can you turn up, meaning you are here now, when you are missing, which means you are not here now? Wonderful stuff.

[@BoringReviews]

That’s a good point. I wonder if it’s short for “It has turned up (out) that he was missing all along”

[@True_Heretic]

@@BoringReviews I'm sure it is. Another really good one is that some American folks who've heard the word before they've seen its spelling call Alzheimer's Disease "Old Timers Disease".

[@xaj1543]

@@BoringReviewsHow is, “up,” short for, “out.” You have attempted to explain that example in what can only be described as nonsensical, non logic. And you are school teachers, is it a dog training school?

[@xaj1543]

For gods sake, al-you-min- ee-um, just as it is spelt. I had to put, “al-you,” because if I had said, “alu” you, being American would interpret it as, “aloo,” as in when you try to say, “emu,” (eem-you) as “eem-oo.” There are many, many examples, but I still can’t get my head around Americans calling their main course, an entree!😳

[@True_Heretic]

@@xaj1543 So how the **** do you pronounce "Xaj" then Peter Perfect?

[@tonycasey3183]

The debate between different spellings and pronunciations between American English and English English seems pointless to me. We are two different countries. We don't argue with the French about the pronunciation of "information" or "ambulance" or how the Welsh spell "taxi" (tacsi) or phone (ffôn). Different nations with different linguistic requirements and usage.

[@MRB-19]

(root & route) or (rout and route) sound the same 🤔?