“You got some nerve standing me up.”
Why it's great
It turns hurt into a cool accusation, naming the insult without pleading.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
You got some nerve showing up an hour late.
00:00 / 03:25
00:00 / 03:25
Karen Blasts Henry for Standing Her Up, Explained
GoodFellas · 1990
Chapter 9 of 28 · 3'25"
A double date tries Karen's patience, and then Henry simply does not show up for the next one. "You got some nerve standing me up," she tells him, demanding to know who he thinks he is. She is furious and still wants him, so the fight ends with him promising to make it up to her.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:24–2:07
Karen Tells Henry Off for Standing Her Up
44s
Karen Blasts Henry for Standing Her Up, explained
What happens
Karen recalls a double date, then the Friday he stood her up. She makes Tommy drive her around until they find Henry, and she confronts him in public — how dare he, who does he think he is. He apologizes and offers to make it up to her. Later she brings him home to meet her parents, where he jokes his way through a question about being half Jewish.
What's really going on
The scene tracks how Karen turns being ignored into a claim on Henry. She is angry that he stood her up, but the anger is also proof of how much she cares, and she says as much: she is furious and still wants him. The confrontation is full of status talk — "Who do you think you are, Frankie Valli or some kind of big shot?" — because in this world being treated casually is the real insult. Henry's way out is to accept fault and promise to make it up to her, which he does with dinner at her parents' house. There the family probes him about being half Jewish, and his answer, "It's just the good half," does two jobs at once: it charms the table and shows he is quick enough to survive being outnumbered.
Key lines & what they mean
- “You got some nerve standing me up.”
- Karen telling Henry he was bold and rude to skip their date and leave her waiting.
- “Who do you think you are, Frankie Valli or some kind of big shot?”
- She mocks him for acting like a celebrity who can treat people as unimportant.
- “I'll think about it. But it'll cost you, Hill. A lot.”
- She accepts his apology only on her terms, warning that he will have to pay for it.
- “It's just the good half.”
- A quick, charming answer when told he is half Jewish, turning a personal question into a joke.
Theme
- Romance — Karen's anger at being stood up is also proof of how much she wants him, and the fight ends with a promise to try again.
- Power — The fight is about status: being stood up feels like being treated as unimportant, and Henry has to make amends in public.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
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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“Who do you think you are, Frankie Valli or some kind of big shot?”
Why it's great
It mocks his ego by lumping a pop star with a big shot, half a joke and half a jab.
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Informal
Use it yourself
Who do you think you are, some kind of big shot?
“I'll think about it. But it'll cost you, Hill. A lot.”
Why it's great
She softens, then names her price; the clipped A lot hands the power back to her.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
I'll think about it, but it'll cost you dinner.
“It's just the good half.”
Why it's great
One light joke disarms the mother's scrutiny about his background.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
Half Italian? It's just the good half.
Up next · 10drop a dimeThe scene: Jimmy Shakes Down Morrie Over a LoanTakeaways
What you walk away with- Standing someone up is framed as a failure of nerve.
- Big shot mocks someone's inflated sense of self.
- Making it up to you is an offer, not yet a repair.
- The mother's approval is a test Henry has to pass.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy is Karen so angry about being stood up?
Because being stood up in public feels like being told she does not matter. She had agreed to the date and waited for him, so the anger is about status as much as about the missed evening.
What does "You got some nerve" mean?
It means you were bold in a bad way, doing something you had no right to do. Karen says it after Henry skips their date, so the line carries both surprise and accusation.
Does Karen forgive Henry right away?
Not fully. She says she will think about it and warns that it will cost him, so the apology buys him a chance rather than an instant pardon.
Why does Henry joke about being half Jewish?
Because Karen's mother brings it up at the dinner table and he needs a friendly way to answer. The line keeps things light and shows he can handle being the outsider in her family.