^^^^ This is the way to do it. I have had eye problems and been referred by opticians. Yes it will go via your GP, but purely as admin, you don't need to see them.
@@luvstellauk You shouldn't be wasting GP resources on eye sight issues or inner eye issues really as there are better resources. Opticians will actually be vastly better qualified than a GP to notice anything wrong, or just potentially wrong, with your eyes in pretty much any case imaginable. They will also have equipment that is flat out required to notice many things that could need a referral to a specialist, that no GP will have. A GP will likely not have a clue how to use that equipment either, or be be able to notice issues from the results if they got them. Of course there are things a GP can do with eyes, and problems they will be able to notice and refer for. But nothing that an optician would not be as good as or better.
Don’t go the GP’s for dry eyes, book an appointment at Specsavers, they will check your eyes and refer you if needed or just go to the pharmacy and they can recommend something
If someone says "I like your hair " it means I like your hair. But if they say "nice hair" it means your hair is so weird that they can't believe you left the house looking like that
In Parliament MPs are not allowed to use names so they refer to each other as the right honourable gentleman (someone of another party) or my right honourable friend (someone of the same party)
In Parliament, they use the terms "my honourable friend" and "the honourable lady/gentleman" because the rules of Parliament are to refer to each other with these respectful terms (almost titles in a way, but not quite) and not by name. They're not deliberately saying something they don't mean, they are just following the etiquette and the rules and can potentially be told off if they don't. "Friend" is someone from the same political party, and "right honourable" is a member of the Privy Council. Anyone with a title that supersedes these titles are generally referred to as such - for example the Prime Minister is referred to as the Prime Minister (sometimes both terms are used; "my right honourable friend, the Prime Minister"). Further terms such as "gallant" and "learned" can be added in addition to "honourable" if an MP is from the military or is a lawyer. For example "the honourable and learned member for [Constituency name]". Obviously it's all antiquated and stupid pomp but that's Parliament for you. The times to look out for when they mean something else is if two members from the same party who disagree don't refer to each other as "friend" or they're sarcastic about the term "friend", things like that. So your example of the leader of the opposition referring to the Prime Minister as "my right honourable friend Boris Johnson" would probably be laughed at for using the incorrect terms, might be reminded to use the appropriate terms although in this case "friend" is an over-extension of courtesy rather than under-extension, so may be unchallenged ("the right honourable gentleman, the Prime Minister", or just "the Prime Minister" being the expected address in this case) and would be told off if they included the name "Boris Johnson" as well.
Sam C 95 I remember as a school boy being taken to the Houses of Parliament to see what goes on. The House was virtually empty but a chap was on his feet giving a speech about council tax being levied on a football pitch which he contended was unfair and unreasonable. Sitting opposite with his legs over the bench in front sat Enoch Powell who was writing a letter. When the speech ended Enoch put the letter in its envelope, put it in his jackets inside pocket and then stood. His opening phrase was “I’d just like to thank the right honourable member for Ballymena for a most stimulating debate which has done this house nothing but credit.....”. At which point I burst out laughing as it was such a p*ss take. Enoch stopped looked up at me, smiled and then continued on playing to the audience. Judging by recent events the House still has its comedians.
No they ask u because they can offer u to see a nurse or say suggest going to pharmacist first. Lots don’t realise that nurse can still diagnose but can’t give prescription and if they are unsure they can walk into a doctor immediately and as for advice :-) so sometimes a nurse is better to see
In parliament, you address an MP who is in the same party as yourself as "My right Honorable Friend" If you are addressing an MP from another party you address them as "The right honorable lady/gentleman..."
So it sounds like what you're saying is that British people are polite and considerate. For example, saying "your dress is interesting", would you prefer "your dress is hideous"?
These are all fairly spot on. As you say many of us Brits don't like confrontation or for people to think us rude so we tend to be a bit more subtle. You need to pay more attention to tone and body language which we use to convey what we really mean. This is particularly true of women and the middle classes, especially in the South. There also tends to be a North/South divide as so often happens in Britain. People from the North are often blunter and more direct and less likely to be as tactful and diplomatic in my experience. People from more working class or uneducated backgrounds tend to be less subtle and more direct too as are men compared to women. These are of course huge generalisations, but are a good rule of thumb. There is actually a point to using a bit of tact and diplomacy. By couching your opinions in polite terms it reduces the chance of disagreements turning into an exchange of childish insults or provoking a physical fight. Plus it can be fun to give someone a subtle putdown and then watch them try and work it out before the penny drops - by which time you've hopefullly withdrawn a safe distance!
What's possibly difficult to get to grips with for non-Brits, is usually these phrases can mean very different things : like, 'it's not bad' can mean it's ok, not great, or it can mean it's quite good. 'Quite good' meanwhile, can mean not really very good at all, or really, good. :P
9:28 "A bit dissapointed not to get a promotion" if said to the boss responsible is actually a thinly veiled threat to leave - often with the underlying secondary unspoken threat of going to work at the current employers direct competitor. We can be politely quite ruthless if driven to it by circumstances. Thinking about it, maybe that's why Hollywood tend to use us as the bad guys.
You can get a self referral form at the doctors office and refer yourself to the ophthalmologist. You don’t need a general appointment to do this, you don’t even need to see your GP. Or you can book an optometrist appointment, they can take a look at your eyes and possibly refer you to the ophthalmologist or prescribe you with something. Or you can go to the pharmacy and see the pharmacist, he/she can take a look at your eye and recommend something or they can try to get you an appointment if the issue is bad enough.
Try watch "Yes Minister" sometime. Saying "that's a brave decision Minister" is the phrase civil servants use to stop the politicians doing something the civil servants dont like.
@@FSMDog Like HS2 - what the fuck has happened to BoJo with that money pit white elephant, while he claims to support the working class northeners who could do a shit tonne more productivity with that type of money fixing the railways there.
Drew Dastardly It’s a big infrastructure project. It will employ tens of thousands, similar amount of businesses will benefit for a decade and it should get cars off the clogged roads. In France, towns fought to be on the TGV route, over here, everybody Nimbys.
I can’t believe you got that all spot on..you see through us well. Clear communication is boring..we make it more of an intellectual game, you have to pay attention.
"I'll bear that in mind" can be meant literally if you give some cautionary information. They will not change their course of action, but will at least consider your warning while doing so.
Another one is that if there is food and there is one piece/item of that food left, it's considered rude to just take it. You have to ask everyone "Does anyone else want the last bit of food?" which actually means "I really want this last bit of food but I'm not going to be rude and just take it. I'm going to be polite and ask everyone first." Everyone else usually assumes that you want it and says no, at which point you are free to take it.
You've made a quite a good effort at understanding the british Yvettes. I look forward to your next video. The indirect wording is mostly to avoid causing embarrassment than be polite. We brits will move mountains to avoid causing embarrassment to others or to be embarrassed. For example, when a British person bumps on to someone else on the train or the street, the person who has been bumped in to will normally apologise. There's a book called "Watching the English" which has hundreds of these learned behaviours that most Brits aren't even aware of.
I'm brittish and all the things your talking about is so natural for us and I love how you think you think we are being polite but we all know what it means so we don't think that we are
Lots of GP have online booking. Check with them. You can log on at midnight and book for the next day. Receptionists are a piss take, they either give you the run around, or try and diagnose you over the phone 😂
As a point of Correction - UK Parlimentary rules prevent people from referring to each other by name. This is part of many of the traditions designed to ensure that in any debate or dispute nothing is ever targetted personally. The Honorable and Right Honorable titles are conferred by the persons position, not by the degree of Sarcasm intended to be levelled at them. Often this is followed by designating which seat is held by the person being addressed. Other positions are also referred to by their title and not by the incumbent: Mr/Mrs Speaker, Black Rod etc. This flows from the idea that the current holder of the position is merely a custodian for it. However, the Houses of Parliment have a very long standing tradition of sticking to the letter of civiliity, whilst drenching the words in Sarcasm: "And surely, My Right Honorable friend, the Member for Basingstoke, must be aware in her long and distinguished career that though such predictions have often be made by her side of this house that thus far none have come to pass?" which roughly Translates as "I think you're talking shit, again and you are an idiot."
If you meet someone in the street you haven't seen for a while and they end the conversation with; "It's been far too long, we must meet up again soon"; the correct response is "Yes, far too long, we definitely must", not; "I'm free next week".
While I never really thought about them, you’re spot on with the interpretations of what we say vs what we mean. It must be very confusing for someone not from the UK.
As an American, with an obsession with all things UK, yes very confusing. Especially Leeds slang and most Cockney slang. (and yes, I am a late to finding this comment)
Another enjoyable and interesting video. I think you have noticed some interesting things, although I would say that describing something as 'not bad' should mean that it is not a bad thing, so there's every likelihood it is good. Keep up the good work!
"That's not bad" is just a really casual, informal way of complementing something, in situations where it wouldn't be rude to not praise something or it might seems weird to be over complementary (i.e. not going over the top with praise)
Yvette, the politician's saying, "My right honourable friend," is the "Form" thing to say in parliament. It is a courtesy, not necessarily meant. Alan.
Honourable is a courtesy title for any member of Parliament. Right honourable means they are also a member of the Privy Council. Politicians address members of their own party as “my honourable friend” or “my right honourable friend” and members of other parties as “the honourable gentleman/lady” or “the right honourable gentleman/lady”.
Honestly I don't even bother going to the doctors when I'm ill because by the time I actually would get an appointment i'm either going to be better or dead.
In Parliament they have to call people by the right name. MPs are either right honourable or honourable. Even when addressing someone they like and genuinely agree with they have to address them in the correct way.
Had an eye issue so went into Specsavers and they booked me in the same day and after the examination the optician wrote the referral letter in front of me. No need to mess with GP appointments Yvette.
Yvette if you have an eye emergency always go directly to the A&E at Moorfields in The City or The Western Eye Hospital on Marylebone Road. They will see you quickly for triage but it will then be a few hours before you see the specialist depending on severity and wait times.
I feel a great many of these things you're referencing are things business type "London" people might say. People in the rest of the country are less disengenuous most of the time.
I think tone and facial expression are big factors in the way we speak to each other too. A raise of the eyebrows at work can mean many things but it is rarely misunderstood
you could always go into a local boots, the pharmacy usually have a medical professional who can speak with you about whatever issue you have, and if they have over the counter meds/treatment they can precribe, they will do.
If you look up your registered practice online, it should allow you to make one appointment before you need to sign up, on your visit you can obtain the code or register with them for the online service. This will allow you to check online to see if any available sorts are suitable for you. Alternatively, if your visit a good opticians they may be able to give you a referral themselves or speak to your doctors surgery on your behalf.
Of course these are all subjective particularly the "I'd love to" sometimes we really do mean that we'd love to. For example my mate called earlier and asked if I wanted to go to the pub for a couple of games of pool on Saturday. I said "I'd love to but I have to do something for work' in that example I really was being brutally honest with him, going for a couple of pints and a game of pool sounds good to me (it would really help to relieve some stress I've had lately) but I unfortunately couldn't
Usually you have to book two weeks in advance for the drs and plan to be unwell then. I would say if a film isn’t very good or a bit predictable, that it is easy watching.
Hi In UK we don't routinely see specialists thru the NHS. A GP will usually decide if the condition you have warrants seeing a specialist. You would be far better off seeing a high street Optician.
"with all due respect" (the amount of respect due is zero) Of a terrible concert or whatever - "that was unforgettable" (no matter how hard I try), "a once in a lifetime experience" (because I won't do that again), and truly unique (thank goodness!).
You have to go to the doctors first before you can get a referral. And even then yes it normally takes months before you get an appointment at the hospital. Because of emergency cases or because something could happen on the day.
Getting a GP appointment is tough as they're so busy. I never ring, I always book them online on myGP or Patient Access, it's so much easier than dealing with reception. Same day appointments are usually given at 8am, where you speak to the triage on call gp who decides whether to give you phone advice or bring you in same day. But a routine appointment normally means a 3-4 week wait at most GPs
Just to correct a comment below: "My honourable friend" is standard when referring to another MP: "Right honourable friend" is only if that person is a member of the privy council. (There are lots of those - I'll leave you to look that up another time!)
Two things, welcome to the life of Brits getting annoyed at Doctors receptionists!!! and, try go to Specsavers, I know you have to pay but it'll be much quicker and they are the people who are dedicated to looking after eyes :) :)
I have used "with all due respect" quite a lot through the years. I had a incredibly horrible rude nasty teacher at high school who clashed with students. And one day i had enough and said to him "with all due respect your a fu**ing idiot" got sent to the headteachers office. And i didnt get in trouble because i said with all due respect. In the manchester area it gets used a lot before insulting someone you shouldnt
Just in case anyone wonders, the two week thing at a Drs is due to a target - so you can't book an appt in 3 weeks as it appears that the surgery is 'late', so to stop that they don't let you book that far in advance...
You probably got your eye sorted ages ago but for anyone else who is concerned, if you have problems with your eyes beyond something an optician can deal with - go to your nearest eye hospital first thing in the morning, just turn up and you'll be assessed by a nurse and given an appointment.
Hope the day gets better. NHS can be a godawful bureaucracy but it usually works in the end. Felt like I'd heard a few of these together before, but maybe that's you being a newbie with Englishisms, just met them and went "YES!". Still fun to hear. Not bad = good. Quite good = mostly bad. Obviously. GL with the eyes.
The underpinning principle is understatement. "sort of OK" can mean outstanding! , much of the meaning is in the tone and emphasis.. I do feel for the non native UK English speakers , it must be a (bit) of a nightmare...;-)
@@jamingaming9251 Think again genius. Sarcasm is a (maybe not so) disguised insult. It is an affront, an insult usually made by a person too cowardly to say exactly what they mean to the person(s) they are taunting. It is most unattractive when the person spewing the sarcasm clearly possesses greater intelligence or knowledge of a subject than the victim though that is often nothing more than an offensive defense of the lack of self-worth.
"Quite good" and "not bad" are both positive and pretty interchangeable, don't know why you'd think either statement implies something negative. Where you get into confusing ambiguity is something like "it was OK/fine/alright" which could go either way or one person's 'good fine' may be another person's 'bad alright', as 'Matt In Full Vision ' said, some of them are more subjective and depend on context.
SOME Brits don’t say what they mean! Bit of a cultural stereotype based a little in truth, but not true of all of us. We don’t like being rude, but I certainly don’t believe it’s any dislike of confrontation. I always think that anyone who thinks we’re too polite has yet to meet my Mother!
The word 'interesting' has many hidden meanings, for example, having managed to ride my mobility scooter through a lot of rocks and holes I would call it an 'interesting' route.
Getting a GP appointment these days is a nightmare. But don't worry, the NHS is safe in Tory hands... It is unlikely that a GP will immediately refer you to an ophthalmologist unless it's very serious and dry eyes is not going to be a reason on its own. Your best bet for now is to see an optician who will flag up problems with eye health that you can raise with your GP. If need be, they will send you to eye hospital/clinic. Most high street opticians will have free appointments, some even advertise the ones available on the day on a board outside and you can just walk in. You will have to pay for an eye exam, but hey! healthcare is free at the point of use in the UK...honest!
Parliament is full of weird things. Members of parliament when in the chamber are not addressing anyone directly, all statements they make are technically addressed to the speaker of the house. This may have changed but as far as understood it when they say "My right honourable friend"they are talking about a member of their own party and "the honorable member for " is everyone else.
I think you’ll find a good amount of regional and class difference.If you lived in for example hull I think you’d have a very different experience,an area where people are proud to be blunt speaking
Opticians are mostly private - so just say you want to go private, anyway you get free NHS service as an emergency as a non Brit you can be charged for use of the NHS
My Honorable Friend is used to address a member of their own party (it has nothing to do with liking or disliking that person) The honorable member for Islington South (for example) is how an opposition MP would be addressed
Verbally were the master of understatement, but vocally we say exactly what we mean, you need to match the words with the tone of voice, that's how you get to the true meaning
Your comments are largely spot on, apart from those on parliamentary etiquette. However, you omitted to mention our propensity for apologising even when we are plainly not at fault. Bump into a Brit in the street or tread on their toes at a party and they will likely say, "I'm sorry."
As an American the "lets get together soon" and meaning the opposite would throw us a curve ball. Because if we say it , we mean it. You will get a call within a fort night with "sup buddy lets get that pint". If not we'd end the conversation differently like "see ya around" or "well it's great to see you again". So that being said, UK women if you ever want to know how an American guy see's you, you just got ahead and end the conversation the UK way and watch his reaction. So the conversation is winding up and you end it with "Hey lets get together soon". If he stutters with Uh..........mmmm.........well.........I ....uh. That means he does not find you attractive. If he says "Hey great Idea" and begins to pull out his phone to exchange numbers, then he finds you attractive.............your in.
If you go to Cornwall you might hear “Dreckly” (Directly, as in “Yes, I’ll do that directly”) Don’t be fooled, dreckly is a bit like mañana but without the same sense of urgency. ;)
Brits always say what they mean. The problem is that the words we use have a slightly different meaning to other English speaking countries.
One of my all time favorites was "economical with the truth" during some investigation.
We really don't. Being polite in company and using the most subtle back-handed insults has become a national sport.
@@Redrally I agree
Yeah
Except for your wife, when you have broken an unwritten rule.
Book an eye examination with an Opticians, if required they would make the referral to the Hospital or prescribe a treatment.
They still do it via your GP, however you don't necessarily need to see the GP
^^^^ This is the way to do it. I have had eye problems and been referred by opticians. Yes it will go via your GP, but purely as admin, you don't need to see them.
Indeed thats how i got referred to the Hospital through my opticians.
Yes, most opticians can deal with minor eye problems now. You could have also called 111 for non emergency advice who also would have told you that.
@@luvstellauk You shouldn't be wasting GP resources on eye sight issues or inner eye issues really as there are better resources. Opticians will actually be vastly better qualified than a GP to notice anything wrong, or just potentially wrong, with your eyes in pretty much any case imaginable.
They will also have equipment that is flat out required to notice many things that could need a referral to a specialist, that no GP will have. A GP will likely not have a clue how to use that equipment either, or be be able to notice issues from the results if they got them.
Of course there are things a GP can do with eyes, and problems they will be able to notice and refer for. But nothing that an optician would not be as good as or better.
Don’t go the GP’s for dry eyes, book an appointment at Specsavers, they will check your eyes and refer you if needed or just go to the pharmacy and they can recommend something
"Not bad" definitely is good, a high compliment indeed.
Its actually just a straightforward double negative.
Not bad, is the highest compliment there is lol
If someone says "I like your hair " it means I like your hair. But if they say "nice hair" it means your hair is so weird that they can't believe you left the house looking like that
"Nice hair" is basically asking if you came on a motorbike.
Another one we brits tend to say is “I’m/It’s Fine”, despite your world falling apart or you’re feeling awful.
..and an almost infinite range of meaning based on the tone it is said with. From dire and worst to absolutely brilliant..all in the tone.
In Parliament MPs are not allowed to use names so they refer to each other as the right honourable gentleman (someone of another party) or my right honourable friend (someone of the same party)
In email, if we are fuming with you, we will drop the "Kindest" from "Kindest Regards"
You just give out "Kindest" regard to everyone? You maverick. I rarely go above "Kind Regards" at most
😂 So true! We'd have to be really angry though because dropping the "Kindest" is really quite rude and you may hurt the recipient's feelings. 😂😂😂
“I hear what you say... “
means I have heard your point of view, but we will be disregarding that and doing it my way anyway.
Brits experiencing something positive: Not bad
Brits experiencing something negative: Brilliant
I reserve my tsking for queuing complications and south west trains.
something negative: great, fantastic, oh marvellous. And many others delivered with a sarcasm only British people can manage.
In Parliament, they use the terms "my honourable friend" and "the honourable lady/gentleman" because the rules of Parliament are to refer to each other with these respectful terms (almost titles in a way, but not quite) and not by name. They're not deliberately saying something they don't mean, they are just following the etiquette and the rules and can potentially be told off if they don't. "Friend" is someone from the same political party, and "right honourable" is a member of the Privy Council. Anyone with a title that supersedes these titles are generally referred to as such - for example the Prime Minister is referred to as the Prime Minister (sometimes both terms are used; "my right honourable friend, the Prime Minister"). Further terms such as "gallant" and "learned" can be added in addition to "honourable" if an MP is from the military or is a lawyer. For example "the honourable and learned member for [Constituency name]".
Obviously it's all antiquated and stupid pomp but that's Parliament for you.
The times to look out for when they mean something else is if two members from the same party who disagree don't refer to each other as "friend" or they're sarcastic about the term "friend", things like that.
So your example of the leader of the opposition referring to the Prime Minister as "my right honourable friend Boris Johnson" would probably be laughed at for using the incorrect terms, might be reminded to use the appropriate terms although in this case "friend" is an over-extension of courtesy rather than under-extension, so may be unchallenged ("the right honourable gentleman, the Prime Minister", or just "the Prime Minister" being the expected address in this case) and would be told off if they included the name "Boris Johnson" as well.
Sam C 95 I remember as a school boy being taken to the Houses of Parliament to see what goes on. The House was virtually empty but a chap was on his feet giving a speech about council tax being levied on a football pitch which he contended was unfair and unreasonable. Sitting opposite with his legs over the bench in front sat Enoch Powell who was writing a letter. When the speech ended Enoch put the letter in its envelope, put it in his jackets inside pocket and then stood.
His opening phrase was “I’d just like to thank the right honourable member for Ballymena for a most stimulating debate which has done this house nothing but credit.....”. At which point I burst out laughing as it was such a p*ss take. Enoch stopped looked up at me, smiled and then continued on playing to the audience.
Judging by recent events the House still has its comedians.
You’ve got to remember the receptionist at doctors , they feel there job is to stop you seeing the doctor.
Yeah, it's very strange. Kind of a running joke I'd say in this country now.
They also eat babies.
No they ask u because they can offer u to see a nurse or say suggest going to pharmacist first. Lots don’t realise that nurse can still diagnose but can’t give prescription and if they are unsure they can walk into a doctor immediately and as for advice :-) so sometimes a nurse is better to see
Carol.
I think us Brits are just very sarcastic and polite at the same time. Its a unique combination.
In parliament, you address an MP who is in the same party as yourself as "My right Honorable Friend" If you are addressing an MP from another party you address them as "The right honorable lady/gentleman..."
If the MP you are addressing is a QC (senior barrister) you address the as "My Right Honourable and Learned Friend."
Right honourable is reserved for members of the privy council, anyone who is or was a member of cabinet and senior opposition politicians.
Same to with the Courts:
"Does my knowledgable and Learned friend accept that"
Translation
"Judge, the opposing council is being a Twat"
So it sounds like what you're saying is that British people are polite and considerate. For example, saying "your dress is interesting", would you prefer "your dress is hideous"?
These are all fairly spot on. As you say many of us Brits don't like confrontation or for people to think us rude so we tend to be a bit more subtle. You need to pay more attention to tone and body language which we use to convey what we really mean. This is particularly true of women and the middle classes, especially in the South.
There also tends to be a North/South divide as so often happens in Britain. People from the North are often blunter and more direct and less likely to be as tactful and diplomatic in my experience. People from more working class or uneducated backgrounds tend to be less subtle and more direct too as are men compared to women. These are of course huge generalisations, but are a good rule of thumb.
There is actually a point to using a bit of tact and diplomacy. By couching your opinions in polite terms it reduces the chance of disagreements turning into an exchange of childish insults or provoking a physical fight. Plus it can be fun to give someone a subtle putdown and then watch them try and work it out before the penny drops - by which time you've hopefullly withdrawn a safe distance!
speleokeir I thought they were well off 😂 unless she means more English not British though...cause it’s definitely not true for a lot of Scotland 😂
Just a point: your local GP is a private practice, undertaking contact work on behalf of the NHS, they are not directly “NHS”
What's possibly difficult to get to grips with for non-Brits, is usually these phrases can mean very different things : like, 'it's not bad' can mean it's ok, not great, or it can mean it's quite good. 'Quite good' meanwhile, can mean not really very good at all, or really, good. :P
“That’s a Brave decision, I’m not sure I would’ve gone with that” when you show a Brit your newly painted yellow bathroom. ( It’s Hideous)😄
My mum literally had a yellow bathroom once upon a time
Yvettes Vibes 😄😄👍
@@YvettesVibes Thats a brave decision, im not sure i wouldve gone with that.
9:28 "A bit dissapointed not to get a promotion" if said to the boss responsible is actually a thinly veiled threat to leave - often with the underlying secondary unspoken threat of going to work at the current employers direct competitor. We can be politely quite ruthless if driven to it by circumstances. Thinking about it, maybe that's why Hollywood tend to use us as the bad guys.
😂 spot on with so many things, especially the “you’re brave” which I get a lot and it always amuses me
Dry eyes can be caused by dust or a problem with the tear ducts but, make sure an optician checks them as there are other things that could be wrong?.
Honestly I'd rather people were more direct sometimes.
Just say no.
Makes planning things a nightmare when people give you unclear answers.
You can get a self referral form at the doctors office and refer yourself to the ophthalmologist. You don’t need a general appointment to do this, you don’t even need to see your GP. Or you can book an optometrist appointment, they can take a look at your eyes and possibly refer you to the ophthalmologist or prescribe you with something. Or you can go to the pharmacy and see the pharmacist, he/she can take a look at your eye and recommend something or they can try to get you an appointment if the issue is bad enough.
Try watch "Yes Minister" sometime. Saying "that's a brave decision Minister" is the phrase civil servants use to stop the politicians doing something the civil servants dont like.
The real killer is 'courageous' - as in a 'courageous decision'.....
@@FSMDog Like HS2 - what the fuck has happened to BoJo with that money pit white elephant, while he claims to support the working class northeners who could do a shit tonne more productivity with that type of money fixing the railways there.
Drew Dastardly It’s a big infrastructure project. It will employ tens of thousands, similar amount of businesses will benefit for a decade and it should get cars off the clogged roads. In France, towns fought to be on the TGV route, over here, everybody Nimbys.
I can’t believe you got that all spot on..you see through us well. Clear communication is boring..we make it more of an intellectual game, you have to pay attention.
Makes for better comedy!
"I'll bear that in mind" can be meant literally if you give some cautionary information. They will not change their course of action, but will at least consider your warning while doing so.
Another one is 'leave it with me' which means they will never get back to you..
Another one is that if there is food and there is one piece/item of that food left, it's considered rude to just take it.
You have to ask everyone "Does anyone else want the last bit of food?" which actually means "I really want this last bit of food but I'm not going to be rude and just take it. I'm going to be polite and ask everyone first."
Everyone else usually assumes that you want it and says no, at which point you are free to take it.
@Tim Webb good idea, diplomatic too. I personally hate this charade. At least say "Does anyone else mind if I have this?"
You've made a quite a good effort at understanding the british Yvettes. I look forward to your next video. The indirect wording is mostly to avoid causing embarrassment than be polite. We brits will move mountains to avoid causing embarrassment to others or to be embarrassed. For example, when a British person bumps on to someone else on the train or the street, the person who has been bumped in to will normally apologise. There's a book called "Watching the English" which has hundreds of these learned behaviours that most Brits aren't even aware of.
I'm brittish and all the things your talking about is so natural for us and I love how you think you think we are being polite but we all know what it means so we don't think that we are
Indeed it's just hypocrisy.
Lots of GP have online booking. Check with them. You can log on at midnight and book for the next day. Receptionists are a piss take, they either give you the run around, or try and diagnose you over the phone 😂
As a point of Correction - UK Parlimentary rules prevent people from referring to each other by name. This is part of many of the traditions designed to ensure that in any debate or dispute nothing is ever targetted personally.
The Honorable and Right Honorable titles are conferred by the persons position, not by the degree of Sarcasm intended to be levelled at them. Often this is followed by designating which seat is held by the person being addressed. Other positions are also referred to by their title and not by the incumbent: Mr/Mrs Speaker, Black Rod etc. This flows from the idea that the current holder of the position is merely a custodian for it.
However, the Houses of Parliment have a very long standing tradition of sticking to the letter of civiliity, whilst drenching the words in Sarcasm:
"And surely, My Right Honorable friend, the Member for Basingstoke, must be aware in her long and distinguished career that though such predictions have often be made by her side of this house that thus far none have come to pass?"
which roughly Translates as "I think you're talking shit, again and you are an idiot."
Yes! I love it so much!!
03:24 video starts
If you meet someone in the street you haven't seen for a while and they end the conversation with; "It's been far too long, we must meet up again soon"; the correct response is "Yes, far too long, we definitely must", not; "I'm free next week".
Love this. I didn’t realise how often we use these sayings until you pointed them out but it’s so true! 😂
While I never really thought about them, you’re spot on with the interpretations of what we say vs what we mean. It must be very confusing for someone not from the UK.
As an American, with an obsession with all things UK, yes very confusing. Especially Leeds slang and most Cockney slang. (and yes, I am a late to finding this comment)
Another enjoyable and interesting video.
I think you have noticed some interesting things, although I would say that describing something as 'not bad' should mean that it is not a bad thing, so there's every likelihood it is good.
Keep up the good work!
Most of these apply to Australia as well, it really depends on context, and even the tone in someone's voice.
"That's not bad"
is just a really casual, informal way of complementing something, in situations where it wouldn't be rude to not praise something or it might seems weird to be over complementary (i.e. not going over the top with praise)
Yvette, the politician's saying, "My right honourable friend," is the "Form" thing to say in parliament. It is a courtesy, not necessarily meant. Alan.
Honourable is a courtesy title for any member of Parliament. Right honourable means they are also a member of the Privy Council. Politicians address members of their own party as “my honourable friend” or “my right honourable friend” and members of other parties as “the honourable gentleman/lady” or “the right honourable gentleman/lady”.
Honestly I don't even bother going to the doctors when I'm ill because by the time I actually would get an appointment i'm either going to be better or dead.
That`s an extremely interesting concept = `Why is this lunatic gibbering at me?`
In Parliament they have to call people by the right name. MPs are either right honourable or honourable. Even when addressing someone they like and genuinely agree with they have to address them in the correct way.
Had an eye issue so went into Specsavers and they booked me in the same day and after the examination the optician wrote the referral letter in front of me. No need to mess with GP appointments Yvette.
Yvette if you have an eye emergency always go directly to the A&E at Moorfields in The City or The Western Eye Hospital on Marylebone Road. They will see you quickly for triage but it will then be a few hours before you see the specialist depending on severity and wait times.
I feel a great many of these things you're referencing are things business type "London" people might say. People in the rest of the country are less disengenuous most of the time.
In Wales particularly in the South of the country we say "Now in a minute".. means your on your way but not immediately
There's Green alert, Amber alert, Red alert and "best put the kettle on".....last experienced in The Blitz
or maybe the troubles
I think tone and facial expression are big factors in the way we speak to each other too. A raise of the eyebrows at work can mean many things but it is rarely misunderstood
you could always go into a local boots, the pharmacy usually have a medical professional who can speak with you about whatever issue you have, and if they have over the counter meds/treatment they can precribe, they will do.
If you look up your registered practice online, it should allow you to make one appointment before you need to sign up, on your visit you can obtain the code or register with them for the online service. This will allow you to check online to see if any available sorts are suitable for you.
Alternatively, if your visit a good opticians they may be able to give you a referral themselves or speak to your doctors surgery on your behalf.
Of course these are all subjective particularly the "I'd love to" sometimes we really do mean that we'd love to. For example my mate called earlier and asked if I wanted to go to the pub for a couple of games of pool on Saturday. I said "I'd love to but I have to do something for work' in that example I really was being brutally honest with him, going for a couple of pints and a game of pool sounds good to me (it would really help to relieve some stress I've had lately) but I unfortunately couldn't
@Tim Webb that's exactly what I did, I said "I'd love to but I can't" then 5 minutes later I sent him a message saying "how about next week?" Lol
Another is "living the dream" used to say something like "this job is shit" or to generally let someone know how your feeling.
Usually you have to book two weeks in advance for the drs and plan to be unwell then. I would say if a film isn’t very good or a bit predictable, that it is easy watching.
never phone the nhs go down to clinic and insist on seeing the manager lol
Hi In UK we don't routinely see specialists thru the NHS. A GP will usually decide if the condition you have warrants seeing a specialist. You would be far better off seeing a high street Optician.
Congratulations you are a real Londoner now
Your anecdote about the NHS appointment was very interesting.
I still haven't been able to make one ha
"with all due respect" (the amount of respect due is zero)
Of a terrible concert or whatever - "that was unforgettable" (no matter how hard I try), "a once in a lifetime experience" (because I won't do that again), and truly unique (thank goodness!).
If you register with your local gp (General practice) they will refer you to what you need quicker. Just a tip
Thing is if you know the code it's not aversive, it's quite direct haha
You have to go to the doctors first before you can get a referral. And even then yes it normally takes months before you get an appointment at the hospital. Because of emergency cases or because something could happen on the day.
Getting a GP appointment is tough as they're so busy. I never ring, I always book them online on myGP or Patient Access, it's so much easier than dealing with reception. Same day appointments are usually given at 8am, where you speak to the triage on call gp who decides whether to give you phone advice or bring you in same day. But a routine appointment normally means a 3-4 week wait at most GPs
Just to correct a comment below: "My honourable friend" is standard when referring to another MP: "Right honourable friend" is only if that person is a member of the privy council. (There are lots of those - I'll leave you to look that up another time!)
just wanted to mention, cos I've heard you say it so many times, it is "without further ADO" not "adieu" - ado means fuss, adieu means goodbye
I think it's the wrong blog
@@tonybennett9964 She says it in most of the blogs. It is not a Brit vs Aus vs USA thing - it is a correct vs incorrect issue
Two things, welcome to the life of Brits getting annoyed at Doctors receptionists!!! and, try go to Specsavers, I know you have to pay but it'll be much quicker and they are the people who are dedicated to looking after eyes :) :)
I have used "with all due respect" quite a lot through the years. I had a incredibly horrible rude nasty teacher at high school who clashed with students. And one day i had enough and said to him "with all due respect your a fu**ing idiot" got sent to the headteachers office. And i didnt get in trouble because i said with all due respect. In the manchester area it gets used a lot before insulting someone you shouldnt
Just in case anyone wonders, the two week thing at a Drs is due to a target - so you can't book an appt in 3 weeks as it appears that the surgery is 'late', so to stop that they don't let you book that far in advance...
This and the bashing of the escalators is what I'm most nervous about moving there for
U won't get that referal... U will be sent to pharmacy to buy some drops
im finding this videos rather hilarious. and its making me happy to be british lol xx
You probably got your eye sorted ages ago but for anyone else who is concerned, if you have problems with your eyes beyond something an optician can deal with - go to your nearest eye hospital first thing in the morning, just turn up and you'll be assessed by a nurse and given an appointment.
Hope the day gets better. NHS can be a godawful bureaucracy but it usually works in the end.
Felt like I'd heard a few of these together before, but maybe that's you being a newbie with Englishisms, just met them and went "YES!".
Still fun to hear. Not bad = good. Quite good = mostly bad. Obviously.
GL with the eyes.
NHS is great when i can actually get an appointment haha
Dry eyes just ask a pharmacist.
The underpinning principle is understatement. "sort of OK" can mean outstanding! , much of the meaning is in the tone and emphasis.. I do feel for the non native UK English speakers , it must be a (bit) of a nightmare...;-)
“Brits don’t say what they mean”! Oh, no no no no no no no no, err, ok, yes, possibly (maybe).
Sarcasm is comedy that only highly intellectual people can appreciate.
@@jamingaming9251 Think again genius. Sarcasm is a (maybe not so) disguised insult. It is an affront, an insult usually made by a person too cowardly to say exactly what they mean to the person(s) they are taunting. It is most unattractive when the person spewing the sarcasm clearly possesses greater intelligence or knowledge of a subject than the victim though that is often nothing more than an offensive defense of the lack of self-worth.
"Quite good" and "not bad" are both positive and pretty interchangeable, don't know why you'd think either statement implies something negative. Where you get into confusing ambiguity is something like "it was OK/fine/alright" which could go either way or one person's 'good fine' may be another person's 'bad alright', as 'Matt In Full Vision
' said, some of them are more subjective and depend on context.
SOME Brits don’t say what they mean! Bit of a cultural stereotype based a little in truth, but not true of all of us. We don’t like being rude, but I certainly don’t believe it’s any dislike of confrontation. I always think that anyone who thinks we’re too polite has yet to meet my Mother!
All good brits don't say what they mean
Register with your GP online and make appointments that way. Much easier :)
"with all due respect" = i'm gonna slag you off in the nicest possible way.
The word 'interesting' has many hidden meanings, for example, having managed to ride my mobility scooter through a lot of rocks and holes I would call it an 'interesting' route.
Getting a GP appointment these days is a nightmare. But don't worry, the NHS is safe in Tory hands...
It is unlikely that a GP will immediately refer you to an ophthalmologist unless it's very serious and dry eyes is not going to be a reason on its own. Your best bet for now is to see an optician who will flag up problems with eye health that you can raise with your GP. If need be, they will send you to eye hospital/clinic.
Most high street opticians will have free appointments, some even advertise the ones available on the day on a board outside and you can just walk in. You will have to pay for an eye exam, but hey! healthcare is free at the point of use in the UK...honest!
Parliamentary address is a formalised language meant to facilitate debate whilst negating direct insult.
I agree with the 'not bad' and 'disappointed', but I wouldn't use the others in those ways.
Parliament is full of weird things. Members of parliament when in the chamber are not addressing anyone directly, all statements they make are technically addressed to the speaker of the house. This may have changed but as far as understood it when they say "My right honourable friend"they are talking about a member of their own party and "the honorable member for " is everyone else.
What you are experiencing is "To damn with faint praise"; southern English upper classes. Watch "Yes Minister/ Yes Prime Minister".
I think you’ll find a good amount of regional and class difference.If you lived in for example hull I think you’d have a very different experience,an area where people are proud to be blunt speaking
Opticians are mostly private - so just say you want to go private, anyway you get free NHS service as an emergency as a non Brit you can be charged for use of the NHS
Each gp is linked to an after hours doctor. You can usually get a same day appointment with them
You do realise that the out of hours doctor may cover a whole county. Might be different in a city but it doesn't work out in the sticks.
My Honorable Friend is used to address a member of their own party (it has nothing to do with liking or disliking that person) The honorable member for Islington South (for example) is how an opposition MP would be addressed
Not that MPs speak to one another in the chamber. They address to whole house through The Speaker. They may talk about another member, not to them.
I plus all your videos when I see them, I'm from the UK probably like the majority of people that watch them👍keep it up
Verbally were the master of understatement, but vocally we say exactly what we mean, you need to match the words with the tone of voice, that's how you get to the true meaning
Your comments are largely spot on, apart from those on parliamentary etiquette. However, you omitted to mention our propensity for apologising even when we are plainly not at fault. Bump into a Brit in the street or tread on their toes at a party and they will likely say, "I'm sorry."
When you make a point on a top you think is correct and the Brit says “to an extent”. This means you’re way off.
As an American the "lets get together soon" and meaning the opposite would throw us a curve ball. Because if we say it , we mean it. You will get a call within a fort night with "sup buddy lets get that pint". If not we'd end the conversation differently like "see ya around" or "well it's great to see you again". So that being said, UK women if you ever want to know how an American guy see's you, you just got ahead and end the conversation the UK way and watch his reaction. So the conversation is winding up and you end it with "Hey lets get together soon". If he stutters with Uh..........mmmm.........well.........I ....uh. That means he does not find you attractive. If he says "Hey great Idea" and begins to pull out his phone to exchange numbers, then he finds you attractive.............your in.
"We could do that", includes the latent understanding "...but we're not going to"
When saying hello: "you alright" when we really don't give a shit...
We British will say one thing mean another
and do something else entirely were just simple folk
If you go to Cornwall you might hear “Dreckly” (Directly, as in “Yes, I’ll do that directly”) Don’t be fooled, dreckly is a bit like mañana but without the same sense of urgency. ;)