“Well, old man, you've gotten off cheap.”
Why it's great
Calling him old man while calling the sum cheap sets the easy, familiar tone between them.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
For a whole week in Paris, you've gotten off cheap.
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Porter Reviews Sidney's Will, Explained
Deathtrap · 1982
Chapter 20 of 30 · 3'02"
Porter Milgrim, the lawyer, comes to settle the estate and go over Sidney's will now that Myra is gone. Between the appraisal and the insurance check, the talk keeps drifting to Clifford: he's been screening calls, and he locks his work in a drawer. The business is calm; the suspicion underneath is not.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:28–1:15
❝ Monologue · 5 lines Porter Reviews the Will
47s - 1:48–2:34
Porter Suspects the Young Man
46s
Porter Reviews Sidney's Will, explained
What happens
After Myra's death, the lawyer Porter Milgrim visits Sidney to handle practical matters. They move out to the porch to review the will, then go through the property and an insurance check. Milgrim also raises a concern: the young man staying with Sidney has been turning away callers and locking up his writing.
What's really going on
The scene is all paperwork and small talk, which is exactly why the suspicion stands out. Porter handles the will and the estate as routine matters — 'the next item on the agenda is your will' — and gently pushes Sidney not to postpone it. But the real subject keeps surfacing: Clifford. Porter noticed that the young man locks his work in a drawer, and calls it sly rather than tidy, while Sidney defends him as 'exactly what he seems.' The polite financial business is a cover for two men circling a question neither will name: how much should Clifford be trusted?
Key lines & what they mean
- “Well, old man, you've gotten off cheap.”
- Porter's dry verdict on the cost of the whole affair: given what Sidney avoided, the price still looks low.
- “Whatever he was working on, he locked it up in this drawer.”
- The detail that feeds the suspicion: the quiet young man keeps his writing hidden, and Porter notices.
- “In a week or two, I'll be ready to face the world again.”
- Sidney's claim that he is recovering and will soon re-enter society, delivered like a line he has rehearsed.
- “I hope he's not stealing your ESP idea.”
- A pointed joke that turns the assistant's secrecy into a warning about stolen ideas.
Theme
- Trust — The lawyer and Sidney dance around the same question — whether the helpful young man in the house can actually be trusted.
- Money — The will, the appraisal and the insurance check set the scene, and every suspicion is measured against what is at stake.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level5/6
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“Whatever he was working on, he locked it up in this drawer.”
Why it's great
The whatever clause turns suspicion into fact, and the locked drawer says more than an accusation.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Whatever she was planning, she kept it to herself.
“In a week or two, I'll be ready to face the world again.”
Why it's great
Calling it facing the world again, he turns quiet recovery into a small declaration.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
In a week or two, I'll be ready to return to work.
“I hope he's not stealing your ESP idea.”
Why it's great
A mild wish that plants a sharp suspicion under the guise of caring.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
I hope he's not presenting your slides as his own.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ Porter on the estate
This is the third item. This is only approximately, because I don't have up-to-date appraisal... On the real estate yet. But this is what you can anticipate, roughly... Give or take a few thousand dollars.
He names a large fortune flatly, and the calm shows how used he is to money and calculation.
Up next · 21a death wishThe scene: Sidney Pitches DeathtrapTakeaways
What you walk away with- A lawyer can accuse by reporting a small detail.
- Put it off names the delay it warns against.
- Face the world frame turns quiet recovery into resolve.
- The locked drawer says more than any open charge.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Porter visit Sidney?
To handle practical business after Myra's death: going over the will, the property, and an insurance check, and to see how Sidney is holding up.
Why is Porter suspicious of Clifford?
Clifford has been discouraging callers, and Porter saw him lock his writing in a drawer. He reads it as sly, not just tidy, suggesting the young man is hiding something.
What does the will currently say?
As it stands, if Sidney dies his cousins will inherit. Porter urges him to look the will over and not put the decision off.
What happened to Myra?
She is dead by this point in the film, which is why Sidney is settling the estate and why the will is suddenly worth reviewing.