Lesson Seven
Today's lesson is about mixing it up. For instance, our first quote is
Line: "...since I met you, I'm so grateful to have you as a friend. And yet, at the same time...I've
never felt lonelier in my whole life. It's as though I want something that I just can't have. You know what I mean? Do you?"
Context: Julie has just broken up with slime ball Ron. She is disconsolate, not only because now she "doesn't have anyone to eat dinner with," (see Lesson 17) but because her friendship with Dorothy is strangely lacking, thus the quote above. Of course, she wasn't expecting Dorothy to lean in for a kiss, and even less that she would protest, "If only you could see me out of these clothes!"
Usage: If it were anybody but you, Queen Martini [remember these lessons were epistolary, -ed.], I'd predict a low probability of such a situation happening in a non-fiction setting. Still, you don't want to let this gem sit on the shelf waiting for the perfect moment, one that would be surely strange and awkward enough on its own. So feel free to adapt it and mix it up with another difficult to use quote. For example:
Line: "You think I ought to check her out?"
Context: Michael meets Les in a small bar to return the engagement ring. Les tells him, "I'm seeing a real nice woman now."
Michael: Oh, really?
Les: You think I ought to check her out?
Usage: The interpretation of the line is a bit controversial. Some hear it as "You think I didn't
check her out?", and the subtitle agrees. However, I hear it the other way and since the inquiry seems sincere to me it lends to the interpretation above.
Combination: Both quotes are specific in nature, but can be easily adapted for use in daily speech. "You think I ought to check it out?" is applicable in many situations, and the pronoun can be varied at will. Julie's speech is sort of a mouthful, so I'd recommend you break it up. In little bits, it can be worked into more somber situations. Or you could alter and combine them thus:
"Since I met ____, I'm so grateful to have him as a friend. And yet, at the same time...I've never felt lonelier in my whole life. It's as though I want something that I just can't have. You think I ought to check him out?"
Starts sad, ends with possible transvestitism. That equals comedy.
Get 'em, tiger.
Lesson Eight: “Anything alcoholic will do” and “No, you’ll spill wine all over it.”
Lesson Six: “Try to think of them as something friendly, like a firing squad.”