QI | What's The Opposite Of Inflammable?

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  • Опубліковано 27 гру 2024

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  • @LimSiege
    @LimSiege 6 років тому +2545

    Overwhelmed, underwhelmed, why isn't anyone just whelmed?

    • @marijbewijs
      @marijbewijs 5 років тому +62

      Things I've learned from 10 Things I Hate About You.

    • @smoog
      @smoog 5 років тому +144

      While you don't sound disgruntled, I feel you are far from being gruntled.

    • @EndeavoursRadio
      @EndeavoursRadio 5 років тому +2

      martin short is

    • @berniebasset9465
      @berniebasset9465 5 років тому +51

      Because it's the presumed state of being.
      It's not something you'd feel the need to announce.

    • @AximandTheCursed
      @AximandTheCursed 5 років тому +92

      Don''t know about anyone else, but I'm whelmed, traught and feeling the aster!

  • @bretterry8356
    @bretterry8356 6 років тому +2445

    To dust can mean to remove a layer of dust or to add one.

    • @alexgeorge3068
      @alexgeorge3068 6 років тому +68

      Anybody? No? Dust.

    • @JulieWallis1963
      @JulieWallis1963 6 років тому +17

      Bret Terry high in fat? Low in fat? Dust!

    • @garyfox1898
      @garyfox1898 6 років тому

      Alex George d

    • @cbk1233
      @cbk1233 6 років тому +13

      its also Norwegian for jerk

    • @danner253
      @danner253 5 років тому +19

      God English is a trip

  • @vibraphonics
    @vibraphonics 5 років тому +4093

    Sara's effable joke was solid gold

    • @erickpederson4480
      @erickpederson4480 5 років тому +31

      I choked on my burrito

    • @effyleven
      @effyleven 5 років тому +161

      @@erickpederson4480 Really? I have never been able to bend forward that far!

    • @rezalucien9325
      @rezalucien9325 5 років тому +36

      I thought it was a bit weak..

    • @user-uq1fq6gs3i
      @user-uq1fq6gs3i 5 років тому +29

      It was a shit joke

    • @zapfanzapfan
      @zapfanzapfan 5 років тому +61

      Sara is quite effable ;-)

  • @L4sz10
    @L4sz10 5 років тому +640

    Contronym: left. It means gone, but also means remained.

    • @tirobo
      @tirobo 5 років тому +1

      in what context does it mean remained?

    • @L4sz10
      @L4sz10 5 років тому +58

      @@tirobo I bought ten apples, but I ate seven of them. Only three apples were left for you.

    • @57thorns
      @57thorns 5 років тому +50

      @@tirobo The party commissar was left behind when everyone else left the sinking submarine.

    • @rightupmyalley617
      @rightupmyalley617 4 роки тому +35

      Thought this was an EU joke at first

    • @newgate-zerohour
      @newgate-zerohour 4 роки тому +2

      @@rightupmyalley617 I also thought it was a clever joke.

  • @GossipIsSlander
    @GossipIsSlander 6 років тому +780

    "Explosif"
    "I beg your pardon?"
    "I was just reading!"

    • @stevethea5250
      @stevethea5250 5 років тому +4

      English be fucked

    • @1adySteele
      @1adySteele 5 років тому +4

      I had to rewatch it so many times, so funny!!

    • @nimmen
      @nimmen 4 роки тому +6

      Pardon my French

  • @YesPlease1
    @YesPlease1 4 роки тому +99

    3:36 Acaster taught me that volunteer firemen aren't allowed to put out fires. However they are permitted to pick up litter.

    • @nat2057
      @nat2057 3 роки тому +6

      They're also allowed to play a nice game of squirt

    • @ryanjohndavies4092
      @ryanjohndavies4092 3 роки тому +1

      @@nat2057 Good squirt this year

  • @15schaa
    @15schaa 6 років тому +3196

    FUNERAL = REAL FUN

    • @stormadams1126
      @stormadams1126 6 років тому +60

      Who said funerals aren't fun‽

    • @15schaa
      @15schaa 6 років тому +37

      "You really going to down that pint? Brian's only been gone a week!"
      "I'm sure it's what he would've wanted..."

    • @dlon4539
      @dlon4539 6 років тому

      Learn..FU

    • @15schaa
      @15schaa 6 років тому +9

      Fuel ran

    • @dlon4539
      @dlon4539 6 років тому

      15schaa 15schaa N U Feral

  • @misterroboto9999
    @misterroboto9999 3 роки тому +120

    My favorite contranym is “strike.” On the one hand, you pound stuff with a stick, and in bowling it means you’ve knocked all the pins/skittles down. On the other, in american baseball, it means you have failed to whack the ball with your bat.
    So it’s kind of hit or miss.

    • @mchagnon7
      @mchagnon7 3 роки тому +3

      It could be anything from passive resistance to an act of war.

    • @jeremyashford2145
      @jeremyashford2145 3 роки тому

      You strike OUT in baseball.

    • @ublade82
      @ublade82 Рік тому

      Bill
      Money, or something you have to pay

    • @lewisleslie2821
      @lewisleslie2821 Рік тому

      I see what you did there. Strike is literally hit or miss lol

  • @GrenadeNation
    @GrenadeNation 6 років тому +763

    I'm in America so I only watch this show through these clips. When Stephen suddenly went missing as the host I was a little worried but I have to say Sandi made the transition seamless! Very funny and intelligent, she's a wonderful successor overall!

    • @Muzikman127
      @Muzikman127 6 років тому +65

      She is absolutely marvelous. She hosted the news quiz on radio for years (the original audio only version of HIGNFY), and was absolutely hysterical on it.
      I'm partially telling you this because it's relevant to your comment, but also because you're American and so may not be aware of radio 4, and it's an excuse for me to bring it up. They have podcasts ;)

    • @Jeff121456
      @Jeff121456 6 років тому +34

      I think it is ironic that the reason Steven disappeared is because he moved to America. Where you are. Sorry Stephen with a PH because he is slightly acidic.

    • @LEMUR_JJ
      @LEMUR_JJ 6 років тому +8

      You clearly don't know how PH works... Anything below a 7 becomes acidic but otherwise its neutral at 7 and above its an alkali

    • @jessicalee333
      @jessicalee333 6 років тому +36

      Steven with a PH is PHTEVEN.
      My other joke was: Steven with a PH is all about that base, 'bout that base.

    • @kaizokuAUTO
      @kaizokuAUTO 6 років тому +1

      Eric Burkheimer Hugh Laurie would have been fitting.

  • @frodothedodo
    @frodothedodo 6 років тому +1666

    yesn't

    • @oliilo1
      @oliilo1 6 років тому +52

      Did he just use a recent meme?

    • @pretentiousred6159
      @pretentiousred6159 6 років тому +2

      Olly were you born in 2000?

    • @MEEEPMEEEPMEEEPMEEEP
      @MEEEPMEEEPMEEEPMEEEP 6 років тому +29

      I think he meant "yecent" because of nocent. So to answer your question: Yesn't.
      I petition we say yecent instead of innocent now.

    • @oliilo1
      @oliilo1 6 років тому +5

      No, I was born before 2000. but I didn't expect Allan to use current memes (Considering when this was filmed). But maybe it was just coincidental.

    • @Whackfear
      @Whackfear 6 років тому +7

      Olly He said "yescent", not "yesn't".

  • @TykusBalrog
    @TykusBalrog 6 років тому +285

    From 2:20 onwards Sarah Pascoe and Jimmy Carr starts making noises that made my flatmate very confused as to what i was watching xD

    • @gabrielvillanueva1759
      @gabrielvillanueva1759 6 років тому +22

      Nikolai Leerskov hahahaha good catch

    • @padraigpearse1551
      @padraigpearse1551 6 років тому +1

      Ahahahahaha

    • @BelgianDrummer
      @BelgianDrummer 6 років тому +8

      Flatmate ? Pump him up !

    • @VestigialHead
      @VestigialHead 6 років тому +2

      +Nikolai Leerskov
      That would be Pascoe Carr porn.

    • @martinmaguire-music6692
      @martinmaguire-music6692 6 років тому +14

      "Yes, yes, behind, that's nice.." - Sara Pascoe (2:23 - 2:27 - and I know she probably said 'to hide' not 'behind' but still...)

  • @kevinfox298
    @kevinfox298 6 років тому +153

    Do you think Lemony Snicket knows about the 'a volunteer fireman' / 'I never run to a flame' thing? It sounds like something he'd know.

    • @BramLastname
      @BramLastname 4 роки тому +4

      Haven't heard that name in a while

  • @carsomyr8276
    @carsomyr8276 6 років тому +185

    Shelled. Does it mean it has a shell? Or that it has been shelled, and therefor has no shell? I have sent several strongly worded letters to pistachio manufacturers over this...

    • @deetvleet
      @deetvleet 5 років тому +31

      oh damn you reminded me. Washable glue. Does it mean that the glued item can be washed without the glue breaking down? Or does it mean that the glue can be freely washed away if you mistakenly use it were you shouldn't have.
      We may never know

    • @Septimus_ii
      @Septimus_ii 4 роки тому +25

      In artillery regiments, it means that it has been provided with shells, usually against its will

    •  4 роки тому +6

      On D-Day,the soldiers were told there’d be shells on the beach and they thought;”Oooh,that’ll be nice!

    • @rusty4150
      @rusty4150 4 роки тому +13

      I think it means your being bombarded with pistachios

    • @jeremyashford2145
      @jeremyashford2145 3 роки тому +1

      Likewise hulled.

  • @TheWizardOfTheFens
    @TheWizardOfTheFens 4 роки тому +130

    I love Ms. Toksvig. They honestly couldn’t have gotten a better replacement for Stephen Fry than her. Superb.

    • @Chimera_Photography
      @Chimera_Photography 2 роки тому +5

      @Aslyn While I agree they would’ve been good choices, I feel they’d only be good choices if it was ALL of them on a rotating basis. Sandi stands on her own! 😊

    • @tonywright8294
      @tonywright8294 Рік тому

      Possibly someone from the local mortuary !

    • @GeoffreyHellington
      @GeoffreyHellington Рік тому

      Sandi is awful. Fry is irreplaceable

  • @Gilmaris
    @Gilmaris 6 років тому +513

    Disappointed - you never tell anyone "I am very appointed in you."

    • @eolsunder
      @eolsunder 5 років тому +52

      You are appointed to an office/job/task. Disappointed instead of meaning taken away from that position means you failed in that position/task somewhat. Functions, but doesn't mean the opposite as some words mean.

    • @SmashPortal
      @SmashPortal 5 років тому +33

      "I'll dismember you" is horrifying, but "I'll member you" sounds sexual.

    • @n1nj4l1nk
      @n1nj4l1nk 5 років тому +17

      @@SmashPortal so remember is putting it back after you've cut it off and had your way with it?

    • @unspeakablevorn
      @unspeakablevorn 3 роки тому +2

      If it wasn't for disappointment, I wouldn't have any appointments

    • @Gilmaris
      @Gilmaris 3 роки тому

      @@eolsunder Yes, I am well aware of the definitions, thank you very much.

  • @scragar
    @scragar 4 роки тому +55

    Inflammable and flammable used to have slightly different meanings, but being so similar they both just merged into one.
    Inflammable comes from the same root as inflame(to catch light or become angered easily).
    Flammable comes from flame and just means it'll burn.
    Effectively the difference was that all things that were inflammable were flammable(if it catches light easily then of course it burns), but some things that are flammable might not be inflammable(coal is a good example, it burns well but needs to be around 300°C to ignite which is hard to get accidentally).
    Obviously whole thing is moot with the words converging, but it's cool etymology.

    • @lancer525
      @lancer525 2 роки тому +1

      I don't know about that flammable-inflammable thing. Does it flam, or doesn't it flam? Either the thing flams, or it doesn't.

    • @willch.2259
      @willch.2259 2 роки тому

      @@lancer525 The "in-" prefix in "inflammable" is nothing to do with a negative sense (such as in words like "insufferable"), but a sense meaning "in" or "on", presumably as in "on fire".

    • @francookie9353
      @francookie9353 Рік тому

      ​@@willch.2259like "interred" or "involved"... or "inbred".

  • @wanderer4178
    @wanderer4178 5 років тому +451

    Alan said “dis dane!” And pointed to Sandi, who is Danish. Brilliant

    • @billycrockett3715
      @billycrockett3715 4 роки тому +3

      🤦‍♂️

    • @angelomavroudis2953
      @angelomavroudis2953 4 роки тому +8

      Billy Crockett omg really. Didn’t notice without your 738474 IQ

    • @limpfishyes
      @limpfishyes 4 роки тому +5

      But it was Jimmy Carr that made the joke, Alan, as ever, just repeated it like a 6 year old desperate for attention. Honestly, can't stand Alan Davies

    • @PenzancePete
      @PenzancePete 4 роки тому

      Wanderer - she's half Danish.

    • @gamesandfun781
      @gamesandfun781 4 роки тому +31

      @@limpfishyes probably shouldn't watch qi then.... hes in quite a few episodes

  • @MarinusMakesStuff
    @MarinusMakesStuff 3 роки тому +11

    We have a similar situation in Dutch with flammable/inflammable. We use 'ontvlambaar', which literally seems to mean something can't 'catch flames' but it really means that something can catch on fire. This happens to many words in Dutch, like waking up and breakfast which are 'ontwaken' and 'ontbijten'. If you start to think about these words it means to 'unwake' and 'unbite' yet they mean 'to wake' and 'to bite'. It's all a bit confusing when you start digging into language, but that's what makes it beautiful. I'm quite happy there's etymologists working hard for us to be able to make sense of all of it.
    The reasons behind why these words work the way they do is a bit too much for me to explain in a short youtube comment, but it's worth a read if you're Dutch :)

  • @Gilmaris
    @Gilmaris 6 років тому +264

    How is "customer" an antigram? "Customer" and "store scum" are synonymous, surely?

    • @n1nj4l1nk
      @n1nj4l1nk 6 років тому +9

      Gilmaris
      Only when you're working in the store.

    • @scratchfg212
      @scratchfg212 6 років тому +46

      Customers dear. The anagram of Customer would be Store Cum, and who wants to buy that!

    • @Swagmittens
      @Swagmittens 4 роки тому +5

      and what is a store without customers

    • @aaronwebb1548
      @aaronwebb1548 4 роки тому +31

      @@Swagmittens Pleasant

    • @zetetick395
      @zetetick395 4 роки тому +6

      @@Swagmittens The best time to pick up that erectile disfunction medecine?

  • @JarthenGreenmeadow
    @JarthenGreenmeadow 4 роки тому +11

    3:05 "The opposite of a gram"
    His delivery is just gold.

  • @trynottodie5352
    @trynottodie5352 5 років тому +166

    Disgusting
    Once told granny her food was "gusting" thinking I was being clever... she misheard...

    • @sammarshall9504
      @sammarshall9504 4 роки тому +27

      Oddly enough, in Italian there is disgustoso (disgusting) and gustoso (delicious/good). So I suspect the Latin language has something to do with it, as with tons of English words. This applies only to food, though, as "gusto" in Italian means "taste".

    • @billyeveryteen7328
      @billyeveryteen7328 4 роки тому +1

      @@sammarshall9504 In Spanish, "gusto" means both "taste" (both noun and verb) and "to like." And we have the word "disgusta/disgusto," but it doesn't mean "disgust," it means "dislike."

    • @naru3443
      @naru3443 4 роки тому +1

      "gust" means "taste" in romanian "gustos" means "tasty"

    • @vikj1255
      @vikj1255 3 роки тому

      @@billyeveryteen7328, @Sam Marshall. Great stuff. Thanks

    • @necrolich9169
      @necrolich9169 3 роки тому

      I love all the Latin languages coming in and showing their Latin roots.

  • @MrNomadic76
    @MrNomadic76 3 роки тому +2

    I love these clips because there are more snippets of information to make me look cool and clever in less than 5 minutes than I can find in a whole evening of the rest of UA-cam.

  • @Braamsery1992
    @Braamsery1992 4 роки тому +6

    Alan is so spot on with his retail remark. I absolutely stand behind that :D

  • @_Cervantez
    @_Cervantez 6 років тому +33

    In German we use "umfahren" both for "to run over" and "to drive around", but it only looks the same in a few grammatical cases

    • @chaoswarriorbr
      @chaoswarriorbr 6 років тому +13

      Like, when talking about France?

    • @illdeletethismusic
      @illdeletethismusic 6 років тому +1

      @@chaoswarriorbr seems like they miss getting run over enough to import muslims willing to do that to them

    • @PSspecialist
      @PSspecialist 5 років тому +9

      @@illdeletethismusic Follow your own username's advice.

    • @bengrizzlyadams6187
      @bengrizzlyadams6187 5 років тому

      You hardly umfart in Germany, it’s usually very loud because of the crauts and you speed full blast to make it home on time.
      Kein slappen umfarth zu Bushen.
      Any more help feel free to ask .

    • @Martin-pb7ts
      @Martin-pb7ts 3 роки тому

      I wonder how many of those grammatical cases have gotten someone killed?

  • @vittoriocodogno2584
    @vittoriocodogno2584 6 років тому +21

    Sanction - can mean to punish, and also to permit

  • @fruv
    @fruv 6 років тому +243

    People are always disgruntled, never gruntled

    • @bmw320i2
      @bmw320i2 6 років тому +27

      Moxy Fruvous and dishevelled - never shevelled

    • @Sigart
      @Sigart 6 років тому +6

      gruntled sounds like it should be an antonym XD

    • @gilliansolivagi541
      @gilliansolivagi541 6 років тому +11

      and we can be overwhelmed but not just whelmed

    • @emz2969
      @emz2969 6 років тому +3

      When people are gruntled it doesn't matter because they are okay. So no one talks about it.
      Whelmed is just overwhelmed but not as bad.
      I'm not overwhelmed, I'm just a little whelmed.

    • @Gilmaris
      @Gilmaris 6 років тому +6

      But "gruntled" doesn't sound any less disgruntled to me.
      And "whelmed" is a little special, because you can be "underwhelmed" as well. Underwhelmed or overwhelmed, just not plain whelmed.

  • @VocaloidHayate
    @VocaloidHayate 6 років тому +146

    Of course people don't say effable, it literally means "able to be described in words" so wouldn't you JUST SAY THE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE THING

    • @brokenwave6125
      @brokenwave6125 6 років тому +36

      "My vacation was just effable!"
      "Go on..."

    • @bengrizzlyadams6187
      @bengrizzlyadams6187 5 років тому

      Broken Wave Change vacation with date and it could work....

    • @KanjoosLahookvinhaakvinhookvin
      @KanjoosLahookvinhaakvinhookvin 5 років тому +5

      Most effable things I think you'd just cut the chat and get down to business with innit

    • @TheGreatAtario
      @TheGreatAtario 5 років тому +10

      If I were feeling lazy, it'd be a lot easier to describe something as effable than to actually follow through and eff it

    • @1xBestOfAllx1
      @1xBestOfAllx1 4 роки тому +5

      Ah, but what if the only word to describe it is ‘effable’

  • @dragoncurveenthusiast
    @dragoncurveenthusiast 6 років тому +387

    I had to have it pointed out to me XD

    • @starbug1409
      @starbug1409 6 років тому +10

      Sandi straight up murdered him

    • @liger-9990
      @liger-9990 5 років тому +2

      Cool dragon curve!

  • @Showmetheevidence-
    @Showmetheevidence- 6 років тому +18

    QI lives up to their name... always finding really interesting and quirky stuff to chat about.

    • @MichaelBerthelsen
      @MichaelBerthelsen 6 років тому +2

      D.B. But it's NOT really interesting, though... Just Quite Interesting, you know.😉

  • @onemercilessming1342
    @onemercilessming1342 6 років тому +1

    There are so few channel that are both informative and entertaining. This is one of the few.

  • @katiehough2499
    @katiehough2499 6 років тому +75

    Cleave can mean to join together or splice apart.

    • @geeberg5129
      @geeberg5129 6 років тому +4

      Katie Hough doesn't splice mean to join?

    • @ruofanyu6699
      @ruofanyu6699 6 років тому +6

      specifically "cleave to" if you want to mean the former

    • @brokenwave6125
      @brokenwave6125 6 років тому +4

      "Splice apart" is a contradiction.

    • @joekdp
      @joekdp 3 роки тому

      @@brokenwave6125 oxymoron

  • @TheTomLees
    @TheTomLees 6 років тому +116

    1:08 yesn't

  • @marcusreading3783
    @marcusreading3783 6 років тому +85

    Ohh, I do love the English language sometimes.

    • @SSC0002
      @SSC0002 5 років тому +8

      tough
      trough
      though
      thought
      through
      thorough
      Slough
      Loughborough

    • @mozzinator
      @mozzinator 5 років тому

      @@SSC0002 is that a "I love Lucy" reference?

    • @SSC0002
      @SSC0002 5 років тому

      @@mozzinator no sorry idk what that is

    • @Scarletraven87
      @Scarletraven87 5 років тому

      @@SSC0002
      My english nemesis. Best in class, will never manage to remember them.

  • @robsmith7567
    @robsmith7567 5 років тому +3

    QI is such an incredible show. Intelligent insights and hilarious people. What's not to love!

  • @farrahcoulee6701
    @farrahcoulee6701 6 років тому +6

    Fun facts about language are my absolute favorite!

  • @NinjaCoto
    @NinjaCoto 5 років тому +19

    "To be fair Jimmy, I had to have it pointed out to me"

  • @ForOrAgainstUs
    @ForOrAgainstUs 5 років тому +7

    How I Met Your Mother did a great gag in the first season where Ted was trying to break up with a girl on her birthday and he knew dragging it out would not be virtuous, so his reasoning was that he just knew she wasn't "the one" but the answer as to why was ineffable. "I'm not effable?" she replied. It was brilliant.

  • @TheWitchOvAgnesi
    @TheWitchOvAgnesi 5 років тому +8

    Jimmy's mind was blown wide open. Expect more wordplay material in his next routine.

  • @Wolf6119
    @Wolf6119 6 років тому +183

    I suppose everyone in 1701 was just very cessant about using the word "cessant".

    • @r0bw00d
      @r0bw00d 6 років тому +4

      No doubt that the _Enterprise_ had a hand in this matter.

    • @leeball4585
      @leeball4585 6 років тому +8

      A cessation of cessant use

    • @Chizypuff
      @Chizypuff 6 років тому +2

      Incessant is the continuation of something, meaning cessant is to stop something. They were very cessant about using cessant

    • @davidw.2791
      @davidw.2791 6 років тому

      Wolf6120 Was it in 1701 when Scotland officially joined in with England to form the UK?

    • @war_reimon8343
      @war_reimon8343 5 років тому

      @@leeball4585 for me sounds better "a cessation use of cessant", but I might be wrong.

  • @nienke7713
    @nienke7713 2 роки тому +1

    a modern contronym: "literally" which is also used to mean "figuratively"

  • @Martyk1968
    @Martyk1968 5 років тому +14

    I thought an antigram was used for weighing helium balloons.

  • @johnmunns5964
    @johnmunns5964 Рік тому

    Probably the best QI clip ever!

  • @steveyray8852
    @steveyray8852 4 роки тому +5

    We get this show here in Australia and I love it. I love the host too, I think she is absolutely hilarious and wonderful.

  • @Hitman-ds1ei
    @Hitman-ds1ei 3 роки тому +1

    One of the funniest short segments I've seen

  • @Monochromicornicopia
    @Monochromicornicopia 6 років тому +32

    "I think we need marijuana for this"
    I've definitely had convos like this

    • @57thorns
      @57thorns 5 років тому

      Mostly when you have proven you really do not need it.

    • @CaptainJohnnyWalker
      @CaptainJohnnyWalker 4 роки тому

      @@57thorns He said it while i had some. It was a well good laugh.

  • @pleasestaysafe2787
    @pleasestaysafe2787 3 роки тому

    I'm an american, I think I missed my exit, I've watched about five clips from the show, I don't even know what it is. It's great. Love it. Don't know I got here.

  • @gazelle1467
    @gazelle1467 6 років тому +4

    The new presenter is really growing on me, I love the sass!

  • @kevinschultz6091
    @kevinschultz6091 6 місяців тому

    "Cleave" and "table" are the two contranyms I usually remember, although the latter is a cultural one: in America, it means "to temporarily halt discussion of", while in England it means "to start a conversation about".
    I'm pretty sure its the difference between "putting it down on the table" (as though we were examining it with our hands, but want to do something else), as opposed to "brining it to the table" (so we can look at it.)

  • @BYERE
    @BYERE 6 років тому +21

    Customers = store scum... I love it! (yes, I do work in retail lol)

  • @sarahjones8396
    @sarahjones8396 4 роки тому +1

    They are brilliant; I hope I may be able to remember some of those!

  • @ahlpym
    @ahlpym 6 років тому +460

    A word which has unfortunately become a contronym: Literally

    • @CloudsGirl7
      @CloudsGirl7 6 років тому +97

      Not for me. When someone says "Oh. My god. I literally died," I'd have to respond with "Then why are you still here, torturing me and my ears with your rape of the English language?"

    • @ahlpym
      @ahlpym 6 років тому +68

      +CloudsGirl7
      I don't use it like that either, but enough people do that it's now official. It figuratively kills me

    • @Wren6991
      @Wren6991 6 років тому +19

      "Not for me" yes but you don't get to choose. When you talk about meaning of language, you're referring either to common usage or dictionary definition, neither of which agrees with you.

    • @ahlpym
      @ahlpym 6 років тому +10

      +Luke Wren
      Well, the more loudly we yell about this online, the more likely people will take notice. If enough people go back to only using the original definition, it can be changed back, since that's how languages work.

    • @Wren6991
      @Wren6991 6 років тому +4

      I think that ship has sailed :( I'm truly sorry. I used to think the same thing you do

  • @vishnuprasad2312
    @vishnuprasad2312 4 роки тому +1

    Love this show, can’t believe I’ve never heard of it before

  • @freezeburn1
    @freezeburn1 5 років тому +11

    1:08 This guy was living in 2019 while we were all living in 2017

  • @wj11jam78
    @wj11jam78 3 роки тому

    Priceless!
    Nobody says something is priceful.

  • @Woodkin007
    @Woodkin007 3 роки тому +4

    Still remember, at age 8, some kids parent correcting me that inflammable didnt mean it cant catch on fire.
    I was gutted.

    • @VidRunner1080
      @VidRunner1080 3 роки тому

      So... does that mean you have guts, or that you don't have them anymore? :v

  • @rhysodunloe2463
    @rhysodunloe2463 9 місяців тому

    Speaking of orphaned negatives:
    English uses the Germanic word "harm" and has the adjectives "harmless" and "harmful".
    In German and Norwegian "harmlos/harmløs" are orphaned negatives.
    Instead of "harmful" they say "schädlich/skadelig" which both come from the Germanic word "skapon". The nouns are "Schaden/skade".
    The word "Harm" was used in German but it meant more of a mental damage like a depression or a trauma. It fell out of favour and wasn't used outside of poetry for at least two centuries.

  • @solidkingcobra
    @solidkingcobra 6 років тому +58

    "inflammable means flammable? what a country!" - Dr. Nick Riviera

  • @the_luggage
    @the_luggage 6 років тому +2

    So funny! Brilliant stuff, thank you, QI

  • @nertcher1563
    @nertcher1563 6 років тому +76

    Yesn't?

    • @aerodaan
      @aerodaan 6 років тому +4

      NERTCHER yescent

  • @ObiWanBillKenobi
    @ObiWanBillKenobi 4 роки тому +1

    Now this one is worth watching!

  • @maxnullifidian
    @maxnullifidian 5 років тому +3

    So, would the word "sanction" be a contronym?

  • @mertcilli705
    @mertcilli705 Рік тому

    "To be fair Jimmy, I had to have it pointed out to me" - Next level layering!

  • @Levi_Skardsen
    @Levi_Skardsen 5 років тому +5

    Plenty of ruthless acts to go around but a lot less ruth ones.

    • @khymaaren
      @khymaaren 3 роки тому

      Ruthless is a group of people where nobody is called Ruth.

  • @timn4481
    @timn4481 5 років тому +1

    this was a particularly good one.

  • @mason4140
    @mason4140 5 років тому +3

    unlockable - able to be unlocked
    unlockable - not able to be locked

  • @lyonsja1
    @lyonsja1 3 роки тому +1

    That music at the end is nice.

  • @Gmoviesmoothie
    @Gmoviesmoothie 5 років тому +5

    "There's a few people out there working retail"
    CLAP CLAP CLAP!
    XD

  • @jamesburnett1976
    @jamesburnett1976 6 років тому +1

    Thanks gnilttbs... that helps answer my long term thoughts! Though I must say I don't hear people using "ruthful" either!

  • @Nathanchooper
    @Nathanchooper 5 років тому +27

    one plus twelve = two plus eleven

  • @Nabalazs
    @Nabalazs 5 років тому

    UA-cam recommendations strike again. But I'm not mad, this video is funnier than it has any right to be.

  • @ambergris5705
    @ambergris5705 6 років тому +29

    In French, we have the word "hôte", which means the person welcoming to her house, and the person welcomed to this house. It's just... a lot.

    • @dascientist8443
      @dascientist8443 6 років тому +13

      So it means both "host" and "guest"?

    • @Ainennke
      @Ainennke 6 років тому +2

      Da Scientist correct

    • @radicalpaddyo
      @radicalpaddyo 6 років тому +2

      Host in English (same route I would think) has the same ambiguity. Usually we use 'Guest' for clarity.

    • @hivebrain
      @hivebrain 6 років тому +1

      Also "manquer" means both to miss and to be missed by.

    • @Ainennke
      @Ainennke 6 років тому +1

      @RickRogers I don't think I agree; I've never come across the word "host" being synonymous with "guest". Can you give an example ?

  • @Illjwamh
    @Illjwamh 6 років тому +1

    My favorite contronym is "dust". As a verb it can mean to put dust on something, or take dust off of something. (Also to kill a vampire, but that doesn't fit the pattern).

  • @JJJackson777
    @JJJackson777 2 роки тому +3

    did anyone else notice when Adam said "Antonym" Alan leant in and squinted at Adam like he had an ant on him.
    Unbelievable stuff, i'm surprised i didn't miss it.

  • @TheMicroTrak
    @TheMicroTrak 4 роки тому

    This video left me very gruntled!

  • @bbgun061
    @bbgun061 6 років тому +9

    Jimmy Carr should get a klaxon every time he laughs.

  • @anthonyuchello2031
    @anthonyuchello2031 3 роки тому +1

    My favorite contronym is cleave - it means to adhere and to split.

  • @Fnidner
    @Fnidner 3 роки тому +3

    “Just reading”

  • @brassdr
    @brassdr 5 років тому +1

    Cleave: to split, separate or
    to stick fast, adhere strongly

  • @spiralpython1989
    @spiralpython1989 6 років тому +3

    Whereas the opposite of nonplussed is most definitely not plussed.

  • @intergalactic92
    @intergalactic92 3 роки тому +1

    Here's another one. You are always underwhelmed or overwhelmed, but no one is ever simply whelmed.

  • @windsorSJ
    @windsorSJ 5 років тому +3

    Cleave - means to cut apart or stick together.

  • @scmtuk3662
    @scmtuk3662 3 роки тому

    Is there a word for a word or phrase that you can make an anagram of, and it has the _same_ meaning, i.e. the opposite of an "antigram"?
    For example, "twelve plus one" is an anagram of "eleven plus two", and also, they have the same mathematical solution, i.e. "thirteen" (i.e. 12+1 = 11+2 = 13)

  • @DROOKiEZ
    @DROOKiEZ 5 років тому +3

    Aster
    Traught
    Whelmed

    • @mattfreak1206
      @mattfreak1206 5 років тому

      Alright robin

    • @BramLastname
      @BramLastname 4 роки тому

      I'm pretty sure whelmed is the official word for hotboxed,
      Or something similar to that.
      I remember whelmed actually being in the dictionary,
      Despite it not being the word I was looking for.

  • @MessyJ
    @MessyJ 5 років тому +2

    I'm feeling very gruntled after watching this.

  • @user-pw5do6tu7i
    @user-pw5do6tu7i 6 років тому +4

    Another word for contranym is autoantonym

  • @jasmeenmalhotra2225
    @jasmeenmalhotra2225 4 роки тому

    This is a great excerpt!!

  • @conormurphy4328
    @conormurphy4328 4 роки тому +8

    “Your impression of doing drugs shows you’ve never done drugs” is such a boring joke at this point

  • @meganpopple9100
    @meganpopple9100 5 років тому

    My favorite one of these EVER!!

  • @jrwst
    @jrwst 4 роки тому +12

    “I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.” -Michael Scott

  • @truthsmiles
    @truthsmiles 4 роки тому +2

    As an American in India I heard a term that I’d never heard before but makes perfect sense as the opposite of postpone: “prepone”
    As in “Can we prepone our meeting by 30 minutes?”
    Genius, and so much better than “Can we move up our meeting by 30 minutes?” which for me always requires the response “You mean have it earlier?”

  • @BramLastname
    @BramLastname 4 роки тому +3

    Edit: Read the replies please
    Pretty sure nonchalant and gallant used to be eachothers' derivative,
    But nowadays they are spelled and used so differently it's hard to imagine they would be.

    • @SavageGreywolf
      @SavageGreywolf 4 роки тому

      no. They're both from French words that sound vaguely similar but are about as related as 'rose' and 'nose'.
      In French, _nonchalant_ is the present participle of the verb _nonchaloir_ meaning to neglect or despise.
      Its roots are the negative prefix _non_ and the verb _chaloir,_ meaning to interest or to be important.
      'Gallant' comes from _galant_ which means 'courteous'.
      The Latin roots of these words come from very different places. There is an adjective in Latin _calent_ that meant 'warm' and is also where Spanish gets words like 'caliente'. _Galant_ on the other hand appears to have its roots in a Latinization of the Frankish prefix _wala-_ meaning 'good, well'.

    • @BramLastname
      @BramLastname 4 роки тому

      @@SavageGreywolf I see,
      With the similarities between "chalant" and "gallant"
      Both in spelling and context,
      It wouldn't be weird for the two to be split evolved tho.
      But as you said, Rose and Nose both smell,
      But that doesn't mean they're related.

  • @rubenjapp7626
    @rubenjapp7626 3 роки тому +1

    "Well Michael, I underestimated you."
    "Well, maybe next time you will estimate me."

  • @zoubilizou8888888
    @zoubilizou8888888 6 років тому +4

    How about ininflammable? It's the antonym in French of inflammable and one of my favourite absurdities of language. I suppose that you don't use it in English, I can't blame you!😉

  • @MrEsphoenix
    @MrEsphoenix 6 років тому +2

    I remember when I was a kid I was always confused by a street sign that told people there was "no access for inflamable goods". Thought it was an odd request until I learned what it really meant.

  • @Efemral
    @Efemral 6 років тому +4

    Some of us may or may not have actually been high while watching this, and Jimmy's not really too far off, haha

  • @Komintepanatbra
    @Komintepanatbra 6 років тому +1

    This was a really good one

  • @ObjectsInMotion
    @ObjectsInMotion 6 років тому +10

    Please turn off the alarm that just went off.
    He left so he wouldn't be the last one left.
    His original song turned out to just be a copy of the original.

    • @brianmchaney7473
      @brianmchaney7473 6 років тому +1

      Yeah, it always confused me when someone says they will sing a famous song "with original lyrics."
      Does that mean THE original lyrics? Or lyrics that are original because you wrote them?

  • @alansmithee419
    @alansmithee419 6 років тому

    This went from interesting to very interesting to hilarious. And all within four minitues!

  • @RasPutintheGreat
    @RasPutintheGreat 6 років тому +8

    F-able!!!
    Hahaha

  • @xaviotesharris891
    @xaviotesharris891 3 роки тому +1

    Cleave and sanction are my two favorite antonyms.