“I still want to get a second opinion, wouldn't I?”
Why it's great
A medical metaphor makes a refusal sound like simple common sense rather than distrust.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
I still want to get a second opinion before we sign.
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Clifford Asks for a Second Opinion, Explained
Deathtrap · 1982
Chapter 8 of 30 · 3'08"
Clifford won't hear Sidney's rewrite ideas until there's a deal on paper. He makes his case with a doctor analogy: even a top specialist's advice deserves "a second opinion." It is a polite no, and it quietly reverses the power in the room — the young playwright sets the terms, not the famous author.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:24–2:27
❝ Monologue · 7 lines Clifford Wants a Second Opinion
63s - 2:33–3:06
❝ Monologue · 4 lines Sidney Refuses to Play Wet Nurse
33s
Clifford Asks for a Second Opinion, explained
What happens
Clifford Anderson visits the Bruhls to discuss a collaboration on his play, Deathtrap. Sidney is eager to share his rewrite ideas, but Clifford politely refuses to hear them before any deal is settled. He compares it to wanting a second medical opinion, and says he would rather send the play to agents first.
What's really going on
The scene is a negotiation disguised as good manners. Everyone is complimentary, and nobody is agreeing. Clifford's doctor analogy — 'I still want to get a second opinion, wouldn't I?' — sounds modest, but it is a refusal, and it puts Sidney in the position of waiting. Clifford even thanks Sidney 'for going out of your way to help me' while making clear he won't hear a single idea until an 'understanding or arrangement' exists. Myra tries to smooth things over, and Sidney bristles, jealous of the rival play and unwilling to waste time on 'wet-nurse work.' Underneath the courtesy, the younger writer is already holding the cards.
Key lines & what they mean
- “I still want to get a second opinion, wouldn't I?”
- Clifford's polite way of saying no: he frames his refusal as the normal caution anyone would show before committing.
- “He'll think he has the wealth of the Indies...”
- An exaggerated worry that praise will make Clifford think he has endless treasure and stop negotiating fairly.
- “I am very grateful to you for going out of your way to help me.”
- A gracious thank-you that sits right beside a refusal, letting Clifford seem grateful while giving up nothing.
- “Look, it's as if I went to a doctor.”
- The setup for the analogy: a scene about creative collaboration is compared to a patient weighing medical advice.
- “I'll be back begging you to do what Mrs. Bruhl suggested.”
- Clifford's escape hatch: he promises to return only if the play is rejected, which keeps him in control now.
Theme
- Power — Polite manners mask a tug of war: the unknown playwright quietly sets the terms while the famous author has to wait.
- Ambition — Both men want the play for their own reasons — one to launch a career, the other to save one.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level2/7
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“He'll think he has the wealth of the Indies...”
Why it's great
An old-world exaggeration exposes both the visitor's imagined riches and the couple's fear.
Register
literary
Use it yourself
After one deal, he thought he had the wealth of the Indies.
“I am very grateful to you for going out of your way to help me.”
Why it's great
The thanks is pinned to the trouble taken, which makes gratitude sound specific and sincere.
Register
Formal
Use it yourself
I'm grateful to you for going out of your way to drive me home.
“Look, it's as if I went to a doctor.”
Why it's great
It reframes a deal as a visit to the doctor, making caution sound reasonable.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Look, it's as if I hired a lawyer before I signed.
“I'll be back begging you to do what Mrs. Bruhl suggested.”
Why it's great
He offers to come back begging, which quietly keeps the whole deal in his hands.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
I'll be back begging you to take the project on.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ Clifford's polite refusal
But you see, the thing is .... Look, it's as if I went to a doctor. One of the world's leading specialists and he recommended surgery. Even with all my respect for his eminence, his experience... I still want to get a second opinion, wouldn't I? I'm sure that your ideas are terrific... And when I hear them, I'm probably going to say: "Why didn't I think of doing it that way?"
He wraps a firm refusal inside a doctor's metaphor so it never sounds like a no.
❝ Sidney shuts it down
Myra here has just been rattling on for a moment. The fact is, I do not wish to set aside a play... As timely and inventive as The Drowning Wife... In order to do wet-nurse work on something as speculative as Deathtrap.
He excuses his wife first, then closes the whole matter in a single cool sentence.
Up next · 09hit a snagThe scene: Sidney Handcuffs CliffordTakeaways
What you walk away with- A doctor metaphor lets Clifford say no without saying it.
- Myra argues audiences, not art, which tells you what she values.
- Sidney's final line ends the discussion by refusing to babysit.
- Clifford's politeness is a way of keeping control.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Clifford refuse Sidney's rewrite ideas?
He won't hear them before there is a deal, saying it wouldn't be fair to listen and then walk away. It also lets him keep all his options open.
Why does Clifford mention a second opinion?
He uses a medical analogy to justify not hearing Sidney's ideas yet: a patient would still want another doctor's view before agreeing to treatment.
What does Myra want?
She wants the collaboration to work. She urges Sidney to help Clifford the way George S. Kaufman once helped him, which is what puts Sidney on the spot.
How does Sidney react to Clifford's plan?
Badly. He doesn't want to set aside his own play, The Drowning Wife, to do 'wet-nurse work' on something as uncertain as Deathtrap.