If you've set down something like your keys, you know there right there, but still can't find them... Stand on a chair! Your brain becomes complacent when looking at a scene that it sees everyday, and tends to gloss over details. But when you stand on a chair it changes your perspective of the room to a viewpoint you seldom see, and your brain is much more attuned to the details. It Works!
A year late on this, but scan right to left instead of left to right. Apparently it’s something to do with English speakers reading left to right and looking for things the same way. You’d probably do the opposite if your native language is read right to left.
Why does Phil have to be so endlessly quotable? It's almost overwhelming, but so awesome. (I, for one, have used this and the 'it's not there' far too often)
That saying Rob quotes there has a similar expression in German: "Du siehst den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht" - "You do not see the forest because of all the trees" meaning all you need is straight before you but you do not make the connection. That's a bit different from what Rob said, as he interpreted wood to mean, well, wood as the substance trees are made of, not an alternative way to say forest.
I have a furry wallet, so when I brought it home, my Eddie Izzard-loving family started calling it Mr. Dog. Later we renamed it Cesar (sic) to make it less formal. I think I shall have to add Peregrine as its middle name. Mr. Cesar Peregrin Dog.
Fairly sure Brydon has that wrong, disappointed Fry didn't pick up on it. I understand the phrase to be "can't see the woods for the trees," implying that the large result isn't being appreciated because the details are being focused on too much - "woods" as in a collection of trees, not "wood" as in material that the trees are made out of. The phrase then makes sense with our American chums who know it to be "forest" instead of "woods".
Fry's "Almost exactly not" is a response to Brydon's suggestion that the woods proverb is similar to the situation Fry is talking about - the response is nothing to do with whether Brydon's interpretation of the proverb is correct or not. My disappointment is that someone as intelligent and witty as Fry missed the fact that Brydon's interpretation is incorrect. Don't get me wrong, I'm not holding a grudge against him for doing so, he's still superb in my book, this is, after all, simply a comment on a TH-cam video, not a position statement.
You're the opposite of wrong. If you "can't see the forest for the trees", then you can't see the big picture because you're being bogged down in minutia. So, yes. Rob screwed up the axiom. But, really, he was just trying to get in on the comedic action at the moment. Perhaps Rob Brydon "overshot his wad" in this instance. If such is the case then Rob, as it were... I've got it, Alan..., couldn't see the forrest for the trees. **audience applause**
It is in fact the same in English. 'The wood' is actually forest and not 'lumber' (but even England is a free country these days so...). He's actually missing the point almost exactly, just like Stephen points out. ;^)
For many years I thought "can't see the forest..." and "can't see the wood..." were two expressions with opposite meanings. I knew the former means that you can't see the bigger picture because you're too focused on details, and I assumed the latter meant you can't see details because you're too focused on the bigger picture. It quite recently occured to me "wood" might be meant in the "woodland" sense. This may be more obvious for people who live in regions where that meaning is common.
I learned it as "couldn't see the forest for the trees", with the same meaning as you describe. (Rob's meaning wouldn't even really work with "forest".)
Obviously... (I'm sure everyone get's this) Rob is making fun of the saying "can't see the woodS for the trees, by sayng: cant's see the wood (singular) for the trees... The expression is sometimes sometimes said by using 'forest' instead of the 'woods', At least (as a non-British), this is how I've interpreted the expression in english...
1:57 Why 'for' and not 'from'? 1- I can't distinguish Paul from Bob. 2- I can't distinguish Paul for Bob. The first sentence sounds proper. Wouldn't the saying be more proper by saying 'from the trees'?
I never understood the point of not smiling in a passport photo. Considering they check them when you leave as well as when you arrive there should be two pictures ... before (happy smiling, refreshed, perhaps a tad rushed) and after (haggard, sleep deprived and ready to murder the next person who pushes in the line).
where I come from its "can't see the forest for the trees" still means the same...can't asses the overall situation because too focused on indiviualities ...
I always thought the 'wood' from the saying 'I couldn't see the wood for the trees' was referring to an area populated by trees and that the phrase meant that you were too caught up in the little details to see the big picture... Have I been wrong all this time?
Nah he got the saying wrong. 'you can't see the forest for the trees' and it is a correct saying because if you are seeing trees, you can't see the whole forest, just some trees. 5 or 10 or even 50 trees within your vision, does not a forest make.
In America, we say, "He can't see the forest for the trees." And, I agree, it has nothing to do with Stephen's question and Rob's insistence on going off on a tangent is annoying.
@@CalLadyQED no his gimmick is to piss off mardy Americans who have to point out the fact that the American version of a British saying is slightly different to the British saying. I would say his gimmick works.
@@mrbrown2186 I agree with all that... But on top of it, his point has at least a potential reference to Stephen's presentation of not being able to find something. Simply because the wood for the trees is about being too focussed on something, i.e. being too focussed on leaving the house/being on your journey rather than finding your keys... Saying 'Keys, keys, keys, keys', is what brings you back and moves your focus. You just have to re-orientate yourself perspective-wise and you'll see that his point was at least mildly valid. Now I don't care for Brydon a lot of the time either, certain points or insistences he brings up or forces are just too much. But his base point was somewhat correct.
II wish that everytime Rob started his unfunny, annoying explanation of everyday thing routine, someone walked up from the audience and punched him square in the nose.
I love Robs silly moments like this
Stephen's laugh is so infectious... I just love him!
I love this clip, Stephen barely holding his laughter in
_"STAY AWAY FROM MY CHILDREN!!"_
Between this clip and "It's not the fire that kills you", I love when Rob goes all teacher-y.
It's one of the worst things he does, seriously. Can't STAND him when he does this.
ihathtelekinesis I'm glad someone finds it funny
I'd like to punch him in the throat when he does it. Swings and roundabouts
How is it condescending the joke is that everybody knows what he's saying, if anything is self degrading! I find it hilarious
If you've set down something like your keys, you know there right there, but still can't find them... Stand on a chair! Your brain becomes complacent when looking at a scene that it sees everyday, and tends to gloss over details. But when you stand on a chair it changes your perspective of the room to a viewpoint you seldom see, and your brain is much more attuned to the details.
It Works!
BentFX, I don’t trust my brain at that height.
A year late on this, but scan right to left instead of left to right. Apparently it’s something to do with English speakers reading left to right and looking for things the same way. You’d probably do the opposite if your native language is read right to left.
peregrine cracks me up every time
Fool of a Took!
"I've got it Alan"
From now on, I will call my cheese grater Julian
A Jarjis Wouldn’t you prefer Brie?
A Jarjis, always.
Although, tbh, my corkscrew could never be called Barbara. And not because of the *whatever* innuendo “corkscrew” conjures.
Rob's delivery on the woods for the trees part was inspired
I'm sick and in pain and needed a distraction, this did it. Thank you.
I love it when Rob Brydon explains something!!
just like when he went on and on about Elvis much to David Mitchel's bemusement - saying Rob sounds like Radio 2 in the middle of the night
Stephen just barely holding back giggles is so wholesome
Why does Phil have to be so endlessly quotable? It's almost overwhelming, but so awesome.
(I, for one, have used this and the 'it's not there' far too often)
Miraaaage.
God, I'm always quoting him. Miraaaage.
That saying Rob quotes there has a similar expression in German: "Du siehst den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht" - "You do not see the forest because of all the trees" meaning all you need is straight before you but you do not make the connection. That's a bit different from what Rob said, as he interpreted wood to mean, well, wood as the substance trees are made of, not an alternative way to say forest.
I would think he'd call his wallet Penny.
John Maclennan
Marjorie
Bazinga.
Rob Brydon and Bryn West are just the same person. "And I'll tell you for why..." 😂😂😂
This is missing Alan's mesmerizing tale of losing his passport on a plane: "Then I found it...that's the end of the story."
I have a thousand things I really need to be doing right now, yet I keep coming back to watch this clip again and again. Curse you, QI!
Motivation. Motivation. Motivation. Hmm, haven't found it yet.
Who doesn't. There will be a lot of wallets named Peregrine after this. ;)
Julian the cheese grater :') haha
just lost my keys an hour saying keys hasnt worked yet.
"Wilson!!!!" - Cast Away
:)
I have a furry wallet, so when I brought it home, my Eddie Izzard-loving family started calling it Mr. Dog. Later we renamed it Cesar (sic) to make it less formal. I think I shall have to add Peregrine as its middle name. Mr. Cesar Peregrin Dog.
Phill Jupitus has a knack for overboiling his cabbage.
I'm naming everything Dinsdale.
Fairly sure Brydon has that wrong, disappointed Fry didn't pick up on it.
I understand the phrase to be "can't see the woods for the trees," implying that the large result isn't being appreciated because the details are being focused on too much - "woods" as in a collection of trees, not "wood" as in material that the trees are made out of. The phrase then makes sense with our American chums who know it to be "forest" instead of "woods".
Fry said "Almost exactly not", what more would you want?
Fry's "Almost exactly not" is a response to Brydon's suggestion that the woods proverb is similar to the situation Fry is talking about - the response is nothing to do with whether Brydon's interpretation of the proverb is correct or not. My disappointment is that someone as intelligent and witty as Fry missed the fact that Brydon's interpretation is incorrect. Don't get me wrong, I'm not holding a grudge against him for doing so, he's still superb in my book, this is, after all, simply a comment on a TH-cam video, not a position statement.
I'm about 99.99999% sure you're taking it literally and what they're saying is tongue-in-cheek. Rob and Stephen are just joking around.
So you're saying there's a chance you might be wrong? :)
He is not the same person...
Clitoris... CLITORIS!! WHERE DID I LEAVE HER CLITORIS?
Alistair .Brownlee You can't lose what you never found in the first place.
You're the opposite of wrong.
If you "can't see the forest for the trees", then you can't see the big picture because you're being bogged down in minutia.
So, yes. Rob screwed up the axiom. But, really, he was just trying to get in on the comedic action at the moment.
Perhaps Rob Brydon "overshot his wad" in this instance.
If such is the case then Rob, as it were... I've got it, Alan..., couldn't see the forrest for the trees. **audience applause**
It is in fact the same in English. 'The wood' is actually forest and not 'lumber' (but even England is a free country these days so...). He's actually missing the point almost exactly, just like Stephen points out. ;^)
Peregrine PEREGRINE
baaa peregrine
I think you'll find that he said "Peregrine".
I've just named my vegetable peeler "Emma".
Emma Peel?
julian the cheese grater I'm screaming
For many years I thought "can't see the forest..." and "can't see the wood..." were two expressions with opposite meanings. I knew the former means that you can't see the bigger picture because you're too focused on details, and I assumed the latter meant you can't see details because you're too focused on the bigger picture.
It quite recently occured to me "wood" might be meant in the "woodland" sense. This may be more obvious for people who live in regions where that meaning is common.
Mein Handy! Mein Handy! Mein Handy! Mein Handy!
I learned it as "couldn't see the forest for the trees", with the same meaning as you describe. (Rob's meaning wouldn't even really work with "forest".)
Good names for a wallet: Percy, Sterling, Penny, Moneypenny, Cashleigh, etc.
PEREGRIN!
Yay, Cal Wilson!
Kal! Awesome!
Obviously... (I'm sure everyone get's this) Rob is making fun of the saying "can't see the woodS for the trees, by sayng: cant's see the wood (singular) for the trees... The expression is sometimes sometimes said by using 'forest' instead of the 'woods', At least (as a non-British), this is how I've interpreted the expression in english...
Peregrine!
Always love a Rob episode.
I really wish Phil had a series on facial expressions in comedy/acting.
Peregrine means wanderer. So an apt name for a lost wallet :)
1:33 Alan Davies did the hook four years before future
1:00
Let Phil have his fun
Dignity!!!!!
So Stephen's nickname for his wallet is Pippin?
Tried it with my glasses. It didn't work into I bought new ones then I found my old ones.
Fcutdlady, THAT always works.
And I’ve proved it - too many times.
1:57 Why 'for' and not 'from'?
1- I can't distinguish Paul from Bob.
2- I can't distinguish Paul for Bob.
The first sentence sounds proper. Wouldn't the saying be more proper by saying 'from the trees'?
Shadow Heart
But there is a meaning of causality to the phrase. “Because of the trees”.
Julian the cheese grater ❤️
I never understood the point of not smiling in a passport photo. Considering they check them when you leave as well as when you arrive there should be two pictures ... before (happy smiling, refreshed, perhaps a tad rushed) and after (haggard, sleep deprived and ready to murder the next person who pushes in the line).
keys keys keys keys on van nuys
where I come from its "can't see the forest for the trees" still means the same...can't asses the overall situation because too focused on indiviualities ...
...they call the wind Mariah.
I swear, Phil Jupitus is one of the funniest guests on this show
Rob Brydon and Bruce Campbell separated at birth? Discuss😎
Can't see the forest for the trees.
Does a bear shit on the trees?
Julian the cheese grater
The dmv *does* allow you to wear glasses in your driver's licence photo
GDI, WHICH DMV?
In Indiana you definitely get the Russian guard/pedophile routine.
I've never lived in a state where that was allowed
I like your family! :) (and Eddie)
VOLLEYBALL!
*VOLLEYBALL!*
Heragrin? HERAGRIN!
I always thought the 'wood' from the saying 'I couldn't see the wood for the trees' was referring to an area populated by trees and that the phrase meant that you were too caught up in the little details to see the big picture...
Have I been wrong all this time?
No you're right
BAAHH
Is it me or does Rob have small hands?
Nah he got the saying wrong. 'you can't see the forest for the trees' and it is a correct saying because if you are seeing trees, you can't see the whole forest, just some trees. 5 or 10 or even 50 trees within your vision, does not a forest make.
Hatchet Faced Silesian Fish Wife
What does Katie Porter have to do with it?
In America, we say, "He can't see the forest for the trees." And, I agree, it has nothing to do with Stephen's question and Rob's insistence on going off on a tangent is annoying.
His gimmick is to be insufferable?
@@CalLadyQED no his gimmick is to piss off mardy Americans who have to point out the fact that the American version of a British saying is slightly different to the British saying.
I would say his gimmick works.
@@mrbrown2186 I agree with all that... But on top of it, his point has at least a potential reference to Stephen's presentation of not being able to find something. Simply because the wood for the trees is about being too focussed on something, i.e. being too focussed on leaving the house/being on your journey rather than finding your keys... Saying 'Keys, keys, keys, keys', is what brings you back and moves your focus. You just have to re-orientate yourself perspective-wise and you'll see that his point was at least mildly valid.
Now I don't care for Brydon a lot of the time either, certain points or insistences he brings up or forces are just too much. But his base point was somewhat correct.
"Cant see the forest for the trees".
...in all the wrong places...
who is the sexy Australian woman next to Alan?
It's Cal Wilson a New Zealand comedian.
reminds me of this mitchell and webb sketch th-cam.com/video/DY-Zdgo0OXo/w-d-xo.html
Will this method help if a woman say 'virginity, virginity!' ?
NO ONE can replace Stephen (Sandy-a deffo No No) on QI, it'd be like replacing David Attenborough on Planet Earth!!!!
Is Phil jupitus funny?
No
Hey Rob Brydon. If you ever read this and want to find your dignity, I recon you'll find it at Dignitas ;)
Phil Jupitus, who thinks louder = funnier
II wish that everytime Rob started his unfunny, annoying explanation of everyday thing routine, someone walked up from the audience and punched him square in the nose.
Some people just don't understand British humour.
Can Phil be any less funny and more annoying?
Remember when Phil jupitus used to be funny?
No.
looking for wood