"Doctor" and "baby" without noun markers

[dieastra]

I just posted this entry in the community linguaphiles but I thought I put it into here as well, as I know you all love a good discussion once in a while and maybe we all learn something new by it! If you want to check the replies in the comm, the entry is here: http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5988669.html

Hi, I'm from Germany and I am wondering about something that I repeatedly encounter recently in the British TV series "Call the midwife" (which is set in London in the 1950s if that is important).

I am pharaphrasing here, but there are often sentences spoken by the nurses and sisters which go like "I'll call doctor and he'll check whether baby is okay."

For me this sounds odd, as I would say "I call THE doctor so he can make sure YOUR baby is okay." Why are there no noun markers with those two specific words? Are there other words like that? You would not do this with "girl" or "boy" would you?

And on a side note, I also find it a bit odd that in the English language men for example apparently refer to their wife as just "the wife" and not proudly "my wife" as it is in Germany. It seems a bit impersonal. Do they also say "the boy" instead of "my boy"?

I am always trying to improve my English so I am musing about these things and why there is this difference. Many thanks for your help!

Comments

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

When my friend showed me the first "Doctor Who" episode some years ago, with Jackie running around in that pink... something, she commented that you would not see something like that in an US show. Also in "Torchwood", you can see a few overweight people, like that one secretary Jack flirts with. But who cares? It's what people look like! I think Hollywood needs to learn that.

And what I especially don't understand - how often do we read about an actress who has to eat herself fat for a certain role, and afterwards has to lose it all again. I don't think that is very healthy, and why not use an actress who already is the right size for the role? There must be some somewhere?