“Mr. President, I'm beginnin' to smell a big, fat commie rat.”
Why it's great
A crude, rhyming accusation turns Cold War paranoia into comedy.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
I'm beginning to smell a rat in this deal.
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00:00 / 02:48
Muffley Calls Dimitri on the Hot Line, Explained
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb · 1964
Chapter 18 of 20 · 2'48"
The president is on the hot line with the Soviet premier, trying to stop the one bomber that has not turned back. His own general suspects a trick — "I'm beginnin' to smell a big, fat commie rat" — while the president worries the strike could set off the doomsday machine.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:23–2:00
❝ Monologue · 8 lines Muffley soothes Dimitri
He keeps explaining, reassuring and bargaining, all in one breath.
37s - 2:09–2:46
Muffley Tells Dimitri to Stay Calm
37s
Muffley Calls Dimitri on the Hot Line, explained
What happens
President Muffley speaks by hot line to Premier Dimitri Kissoff. He says one plane has not turned back and is heading for a Soviet missile complex, but Dimitri insists it is impossible. Back in the War Room, General Turgidson suspects the Soviets are lying, while Muffley fears the plane could set off the doomsday machine.
What's really going on
The scene is a phone call between two men who cannot see each other, and its comedy comes from the gap between crisis and manners. Muffley keeps apologising — sorry about the jamming, sorry about the low flying — while insisting the Soviets shoot the plane down. Turgidson, listening in, supplies the paranoia: "I'm beginnin' to smell a big, fat commie rat." The two logics collide in Muffley's line about the machine: "It's not gonna help either one of us if the doomsday machine goes off, now, is it?" He is arguing for survival with the tone of a man asking a neighbour to turn down the music, and the last note is pure strategy delivered as friendly advice — put everything into two sectors and you can't miss.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Mr. President, I'm beginnin' to smell a big, fat commie rat.”
- Turgidson's suspicion that the Soviets are lying about the fourth plane and looking for an excuse to attack.
- “If the spaghetti hits the fan, now we're really in trouble.”
- His warning that if the crisis explodes, the United States will be the one in danger.
- “It's not gonna help either one of us if the doomsday machine goes off, Now, is it?”
- The president's practical argument for cooperation: if the machine fires, neither side survives.
- “Dimitri, keep your feet on the ground when you're talking to me.”
- His attempt to calm the premier, telling him to stay steady during the call.
- “Can I give you just one word of advice, Dimitri?”
- The setup for his last suggestion, spoken as if offering friendly guidance rather than a war order.
- “Put everything you've got into those two sectors, and you can't miss!”
- His closing instruction to the Soviet premier: concentrate all defences on the plane's two targets.
Theme
- Satire — Two leaders discuss the end of the world by phone, one apologising politely while the other is accused of lying.
- Absurdity — A doomsday crisis is handled like a neighbourly phone call, with apologies, advice, and a general shouting about a 'commie rat.'
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level0/7
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“If the spaghetti hits the fan, now we're really in trouble.”
Why it's great
It swaps a crude idiom for spaghetti, and the euphemism became the famous line.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
If the spaghetti hits the fan, we'll need a backup plan.
“It's not gonna help either one of us if the doomsday machine goes off, Now, is it?”
Why it's great
A tag question drags the other side into a shared consequence.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
It won't help either of us if we keep arguing, will it?
“Dimitri, keep your feet on the ground when you're talking to me.”
Why it's great
An impatient command wrapped in an idiom; he lectures calm while losing his own.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Keep your feet on the ground and we'll get through this.
“Can I give you just one word of advice, Dimitri?”
Why it's great
Asking leave to advise is itself a way of taking control.
Register
Formal
Use it yourself
Can I give you just one word of advice before the meeting?
“Put everything you've got into those two sectors, and you can't miss!”
Why it's great
A brisk order plus a guarantee: the last hopeful push in a losing moment.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
Put everything you've got into the final lap, and you can't miss.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ Muffley soothes Dimitri
Dimitri, look, if this report is true... And the plane manages to bomb the target, Is this-- is this gonna-- is this gonna set off the doomsday machine? Are you sure? Well, I-- I guess you're just gonna have to get that plane, Dimitri. Dimitri, I'm sorry they're jamming your radar and flying so low, But they're trained to do it, you know? It's initiative. Look, Dimitri, you know exactly where they're going, And I'm sure your entire air defense can stop a single plane.
He keeps explaining, reassuring and bargaining, all in one breath.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: your progress
Chapter 18 of 20 · about 6 min to go
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Up next · 19harelips everybody on bear creekThe scene: Kong Opens the Bomb Bay DoorsTakeaways
What you walk away with- Panic on a hotline is its own kind of comedy.
- A mistake and a conspiracy can sound identical.
- One stubborn bomber can cancel every plan.
- Polite phrasing can hide the hardest order.
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Questions, then the linesWhy is the president calling Dimitri?
One American bomber has not turned back and is heading for a Soviet missile complex. Muffley wants the Soviets to shoot it down before it can bomb the target and trigger the doomsday machine.
Why does Turgidson suspect the Soviets?
He thinks Kissoff may be lying about the fourth plane and looking for an excuse to attack. He says he is beginning to smell 'a big, fat commie rat.'
What does 'smell a rat' mean?
It means to suspect that something is wrong or dishonest. Turgidson uses it to say he thinks the Soviet story is a trick.
What happens if the plane bombs its target?
The president fears it will set off the doomsday machine. He warns Dimitri that if that happens, it will not help either side, which is why the plane must be stopped.
What advice does the president finally give?
He tells Dimitri to put everything into the two sectors covering the plane's targets, saying that way he cannot miss. It is a war instruction delivered as a friendly tip.