David Mitchell Argues About Naming of WWI - QI - Series 9 Ep 2 - BBC Two 

We shouldnt rule out the possibility that they were deliberately doing it slightly wrong to annoy David, knowing that he often rants about small mistakes.

"This is just GIVING YOU TIME TO TYPE!" 🤣🤣🤣 Too classic.

0:44 when he says "okay, no no no" he has a hitler hair flop and the shadow of his nose looks like a mustache. Coincidence, I think not!

I actually expected them to start blaring the siren again with 'Mitchell is a....'

I like how thoroughly entertained Stephen always is by David.

This is one of my all-time favourite QI moments. I love David Mitchell's rants, and I love the cleverness of the people in the box. So seeing the two battle one another is incredible

In 1914, Haeckel referred to it as the first world war (lowercase). In 1920, a British officer and war correspondent wrote a history called 'The First World War'. Both terms were used in the interbellum, but only grew popular after the outbreak of the next one.

David waggling his finger and shouting "No, no, no!" is so funny! It would be hard not to say things just to deliberately wind him up because it would be so amusing.

As a Dutchman I want to say that British quality tv like QI (Mock the week, Never mind the buzzcocks) is the best tv there is. Main reason for me to say that is that I think British humor is the best there is.

I can just imagine the people in the box sat there furiously typing everything he said with the biggest smiles on their faces! 😂

Surely though, it has to just be one statement on its own that has to be the same as what he said. They should have just typed "after 1939" and got it in one.

Even better, after he said, " Why don't you just type 'Mitchell is a cock'!" they looked at their screens and thought, "The man's a bloody mind reader!!" Only THEN did they elect not to send it down. =3

David was right that "after 1939" and "after World War 2" don't mean the same thing. Any year from 1940 through 1945 would be after 1939 but still not after World War 2. His rant was absolutely correct, and they nailed him for it. Oh well, it let to more David ranting, which is always a good thing so it's all okay.

At 0:28 When you see Davis raise his finger, Stephen looks like "Oh shit, we've let out the beast"

This might be my favourite David Mitchel moment in QI

FYI: It was first called such in 1914. [edit for correct year]

But yea, it was called the First World war in 1914, because 'The Great War' had been the Napoleonic wars, but this was the First WORLD war.

David is such a delight on QI. Honestly - Jack Dee, Bill Bailey and David Mitchell? The episode can't be poor with a lineup like that. I think they're all in my personal top ten as far as guest panelists go.

@Al1981X The answer (From Wikipedia): "The term First World War was used in the book The First World War: A Photographic History, edited by playwright and war veteran Laurence Stallings and published in 1933. The term "World War I" was invented by Time magazine in its issue of June 12, 1939. In that same issue, the term World War II was first used speculatively by Time magazine to describe the upcoming war. The first use for the actual war came in its issue of September 11, 1939"

@thewildone some dudes named it "The First World War" in 1918. For the history books, they stopped calling it "The Great War" so that it wouldn't be confused with the Napoleonic war.

The Klaxon doesn't only sound off when you're wrong. It also does when you make an obvious joke (such as Jo Brand on her husband), or simply out of spite. I think Mitchell barely escaped the latter.

I just love him. I just do. I love him. David Mitchell is awesome. There.

"...Now this is just giving you time to type!" [klaxon]

@pesahson It's actually quite a bit later than that, about 1950. It was first called the Great War, during it and was first called WW1 a fare way after the WW2 had ended. I'm guessing at 1950, but it's in that ball park.

well, that was in 1939/1940, when the second world war really explosed, "the great war" or "the last of the last" became the first world war (or WWI), the same goes for "the after war" that become "the between 2 wars" (at least in the french language)

0:14 I wish I knew this like when we were learning about WW1 in school

david mitchell is hilarous!!!!....the episode with him are the best!!!! so funny, but so clever!

the producers of this show are amazing xD

like using the Klaxon for Alan's Blue Whale. yea the klaxon is used for variety of reasons, but IMO i dont think it was used for obviousness or frequent use in this part.

Don't mess with the Elves LOL Damn.. that was pure comedic timing at its best!

@PowaShammy I don't think so, thinking back to the full episode I believe it was nearer the time WW1 occured. Since the original 'Great War' was of course the Napoleonic wars. I'm pretty sure it wasn't after WW2 since the buzzer went off saying it wasn't :P

I love it when the people in the box are quick-witted ^^

@Mullahgrrl If you mean the term "First World War", it was first mentioned as a theory in September 1914 by one Ernst Haeckel, a German philosopher and scholar.

BBC America used to air Peep Show in the US (I think they still have the rights to it). It's also shown That Mitchell and Webb Look.

I was sooo waiting for that.

Right. When the panel was asked what animal has enormous teeth and only one facial expression, the klaxon went off when Bill said Janet Street Porter

@kisbie interesting. So in theory, they could easily add that one in for another appearance.

@BrianInvincible Thank you for that bit of information. I cant believe the video was cut short before the real answer could be given

11 years after : - ChatGPT, When was WWI named as such? -World War I, originally known as the Great War, received its name retrospectively after the outbreak of World War II. The term "World War I" emerged as a means to distinguish it from the subsequent global conflict. The First World War began on July 28, 1914, with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and lasted until November 11, 1918, when an armistice was signed. It involved numerous countries across multiple continents and was one of the deadliest conflicts in history at the time. The name "World War I" came into common use in the 1930s and 1940s following the outbreak of World War II. Who do you trust more, QI or chatGPT?

@CssAfc I never said it denied that Britain was in Europe? I merely said it was weird calling it the "European War" because to me it gives the impression that it was seen as occuring some place else

It was called the World war or the Great War from the outset, however it was first coined WW1 during the final year of WW1. I don't think the term WW1 entered common parlance until the outbreak of WW2 though.

Without a doubt; the most eloquent and well-articulated comment I have ever seen on youtube. Good Job Sir.

Didnt even get the answer stop cutting it short I want the answers

"World war" was used before the war for an anticipated global conflict. The actual term "First World War" for the conflict dates from as early as September 1914, was used throughout the interwar period and became standard during the outset of WWII.

0:56 you can actually see the word AFTER change to DURING on the screen

They commonly started calling it the First World War in 1939, however, it was first referred to as the First World War in 1914. However, the term has been applied elsewhere, as Churchill also called the Seven Years' War the First World War.

@wesmatron The difference there is that the First World War involved Asia, Africa, the Pacific and the Middle East as well. In that way neither the Romans nor Napolean matched. Though I thought the 30 year war would have been a good contender, but the 30 year war didn't involve Asia.

@zippadeedooday QI episodes are produced by the BBC, and as such, they're already paid up for by the British licence fee payer. It's not like in the US - episodes viewed online don't directly clash with the business model of the producer. As long as you buy the DVDs or watch the series in your country when they are available (encouraging US companies to purchase the distribution rights), you're not depriving anyone of sales; in fact, making QI episodes popular online might help it!

For me its, Lee Mack, David Mitchell, Ian Hislop, Paul Merson and Dara O'brien

I love how they don't immediately flag his 1939 answer. They were definitely sitting in the back saying "Should we just flag it anyway and force a David Mitchell rant?"

@BrianInvincible I think he means 'first ever' as you might see headline 'first cure for cancer', doesn't mean there is a second one.

How is -q > p v -p? I lean to your deductive reasoning more, but I guess I'm just ignorant about propositional calculus.

@dunbar9finger the last thing they put on the board was during WWII, so that is from 39 to 45

1918 (Towards the end of, but still during, WW1 itself) They decided that 'The war' was too vague, 'The German war' gave too much credit to the Germans and 'The world war' seemed to assume that there would never again be a war involving nations across the entire globe. They thus settled on WW1.

I like how David waves his finger and says "No! No! No!" It's getting worked up in a very controlled manner.

@zan666 Thanks for pointing that out. I did and would say it might well be.

June 12th, 1939. By Time Magazine, where they also created the 'world war 2' to describe the upcoming war.

@irkibby thats why the bell rang the third time.

@mysterycatarrhman If I recall correctly it was during the first world war.

Thank you for simplifying the statement into a formulaic format for easier understanding. But I was under the assumption that when they normally they sound the Klaxon, majority of the times, it is for wrong answers, so under the assumption that people would take that to be obvious I was apparently wrong. thanks for pointing that out.

Thats one of the ultimate comedy lineup's outright.

David Mitchell always makes me laugh

In 1914 a German philosopher called said there was no doubt the 'European War' (Great War) would become the first world war in the fullest sense. In 1920 a British Army officer published a book entitled "The First World War".

@ripplesinthefield Actually at the time they just called it "the World War", I believe, and my grandma still calls it that. Makes more sense, doesn't it, if unless you're expecting another one coming up any time soon?

@xSUPERxGTx All 3 of the buzzers combined are

Historians after world war I saw an issue with officially naming it the great war. Since we have a 'great war' every century. You don't know them by that name anymore, since historians went back and changed them later. But the holy war in Europe was the great war for a long time. The 100 year war, wasn't called the 100 year war, it was the great war. So they realized this was all going to happen again and decided to call it world war I.

someone NEEDS to put a compilation of David Mitchell's rants

David is my favourite.

Yes and WW3 is often referred to and it hasn't even started yet either.

@MissingSirius It did

@Al1981X They say 1918, but the actual answer, if you dig deep enough, is 1914. People could see right away this wasn't a one-time thing. Hell, if it weren't for the nuke, it's not likely it would have stayed a two-time thing as long as it has.

EDIT: 1918 - Reppington discussed what to call it, and proposed the first world war. In 1920 he published a book in 1920 called "The First World War 1914-1918" Original: So what was their actual answer????????? Everything I see online says Time Magazine had the first documented usage of the term, in 1939.

@cultofdagon No, because there's only been one episode before this one, making it episode 2.

Well, I appreciate you looking that up though.

Actually,I believe the WWI was first referred to as WWI by some editor at the Indianpolis post newspaper

@smish34 but the point is he didn't get it wrong.

Legend

@chasingwhispers More to do with the geographical location of the bulk of the fighting being on continental europe.

I would love to have a computer app that makes words flash on a black screen with a klaxon going off!

The klaxon at 0:27 when Bill Bailey gave a trivial answer made David Mitchell and his contestants think "I don't like that klaxon. I wish that Stephen Fry and his producers will remove it."

Haha, I couldn't stop laughing! Poor David Mitchell being bullied by the elves! XD

@aaron9099 And there you have Mitchells point, the two are not synonymous.

I laughed so hard I choked.

Mitchell vs Fry in a battle of words would be an interesting match up.

Go right to the beginning of the video (on the timeline) and keep clicking. Alan should dance along.

God, I love it when David Mitchell rants.

I saw in this on Friday!

Ok! Thanks.

@Jabikz it's not like he can help it, its a good ranting voice!

@Amydahgbvheldhannaj ?after 1939 = 1940 onwards, after 1939 does not mean "during 1939"

These five people almost epitomise the good aspects of Britain: Steven Fry = Eccentric and world wise, David Mitchell = fiercely intelligent, rapier wit and vocally indomitable, Jack Dee = Realistic and deadpan, Bill Bailey = Raw talent and surreal Alan Davies = Self-deprecating and approachable So why do we need reality TV shows in Britain then? Rhetorical question; cheap to make and sates the lowest among us. Long live QI

Greatness.

What a perfect example of the trope "Rage against the author"

Brilliant

@YenRug i only watch the XL episodes i think that should be the norm

@LSSJBardock And proves that the alarm always wins.

1:10: "Well I wouldn't put it past though." That's exactly what you should say Stephen Fry when someone like David Mitchell asks you to type in the swear word that he suggested.

So when was it?

David was right. Take 1943 for example. That would be after 1939 but NOT after WW2. So he's correct that after 1939 and after WW2 are not synonyms. "After WW2" would mean after WW2 is done, not after it began.

Neither are airing right now; no. (Or if, by "streamed" you mean "posted episodes online", they've never done that for any shows in their possession.)