in actual practice
-Do you do it that high when you do it? -Well, in real life, I do it low.I Love You, Man · 2009 — Chapter 12 of 19 · 5'00" · B1
Peter Introduces Sydney to His Family, Explained: smoking hot
At Peter's engagement dinner, everyone finally meets Sydney, and the family toasts turn into an accidental roast. Joyce's speech reveals that Peter brought all his past dates to this very restaurant, while Sydney keeps it warm: "this guy, he's gaga over you."
What happens
Peter brings Sydney to his engagement party at Hop Louie's. Sydney shakes hands with Peter's brother Robbie, his gym friend Alan, his fiancée Zooey and his oldest friend Hailey. Peter's mother gives a toast that mentions all the dates Peter used to bring here, and Barry and Denise bicker through dinner. At the end, Sydney stands up to say a few words of his own.
Listen for
jam outa pleasureheard so many great thingsasshole
00:00 / 05:00Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Phrase of the scene
smoking hot
extremely attractive
In his toast Sydney points out a guest and his wife, hyping the room with a slang compliment.
His date was smoking hot.
Also in this scene
- jam out
play music with abandon
- a pleasure
a genuine honor
- heard so many great things
heard a lot of praise
- asshole
a jerk (vulgar)
- the whole lowdown
all the inside details
Everything marked in this scene
28 notes across 99 lines
play music with abandon
Peter mimes playing bass and insists this is exactly how he looks when he really gets into it.
This is exactly what I look like when I jam out, man.Link there you go so it sounds like there-ya-go.
-There you go. There you go. -I'm slapping the bass, man.for the good of
-For the sake of our relationship. -Slap that bass.get some drinks
All right. We're gonna grab some drinks.show off your skills
-Cool, sweet. -All right. Show them your stuff, fellas.Link so many and stress great at the end.
Sydney, I'm so happy to meet you. I've heard so many great things.the longest-known friend
Sydney, this is my oldest friend in the world, Hailey.appositive: The phrase my oldest friend in the world sits in apposition to Hailey, naming who she is.
Sydney, this is my oldest friend in the world, Hailey.complaining constantly — Casual and crude; avoid in polite speech.
The minute we get in you have to start bitching already?served with ice
Can I have a Belvedere on the rocks, -please? -You're such an asshole.a jerk — A heavy insult; never for work or elders.
Can I have a Belvedere on the rocks, -please? -You're such an asshole.be ready
You never know! Gotta be prepared.all the inside details
Two guests gossip in the corner, one asking about a date and the other promising all the details.
-Is that her date? -I'll give you the whole lowdown.present perfect continuous: Have been jamming shows an activity continuing up to now, stressing the recent run of sessions.
-No. -Because Syd and I, my buddy Sydney, -we've been jamming a lot. . . -I don't play any instruments.The g in jamming runs into a, and lot ends short.
-No. -Because Syd and I, my buddy Sydney, -we've been jamming a lot. . . -I don't play any instruments.a guitarist
I slap some bass, and then Sydney's an axman.a guitarist — Musician slang; too casual for formal intros.
I slap some bass, and then Sydney's an axman.a sarcastic nickname — A teasing label for someone grumpy.
-Mrs. Klaven, the banquet room is ready. -And who's Mr. Sunshine here?eating until full
Peter's mother digs in happily and jokes that she is stuffing herself and needs to loosen her pants.
Well, I'm filling myself up. I need to undo my pants.the restaurant one loves most
all, Peter's favorite restaurant to bring all of his dates.all the others
Peter's mother jokes that Zooey is just like all his past dates, and he rushes to deny it.
-Just like the rest of them. -No.one more portion
And it's not just because she wanted an extra order of slippery shrimp.make a short speech
You know what? I'd actually like to just say a few words -if it's cool with the table. -Wow.what a privilege
Sydney launches into an over-formal toast opener that sets up the awkward speech to come.
What an honor it is to be sitting here with Peter and Zooey's friends, family, Hailey, Robbie's lover, Robbie, Oz, Joyce.exclamatory what: What an honor it is is a what-exclamation that front-loads the feeling for a formal ring.
What an honor it is to be sitting here with Peter and Zooey's friends, family, Hailey, Robbie's lover, Robbie, Oz, Joyce.extremely attractive
In his toast Sydney points out a guest and his wife, hyping the room with a slang compliment.
You got this guy with the smoking hot wife.extremely attractive — Flirty hype between friends; risky in formal settings.
You got this guy with the smoking hot wife.Peter Introduces Sydney to His Family, explained
What's really going on
This is the party where Peter's two worlds collide. He wants Sydney to fit in and his family to approve, and for a while it works: Sydney compliments Zooey with "this guy, he's gaga over you," and admits, "Guilty as charged." Then the toasts go sideways. Peter's mother remembers that this restaurant is where he brought every date, which turns a private past into a table-wide joke. The scene works because nobody means harm and everybody overshares, the same energy Peter has been learning from Sydney. Sydney's own toast ends with praise for "the smoking hot wife," landing somewhere between charming and too much.
Theme
Family lovePeter's family and friends gather to celebrate him, and even the embarrassing toast is a form of affection.
FriendshipPeter puts his new friend in front of the people he loves, which shows how much this friendship now matters to him.
What you'll learn
- The engagement party turns introductions into a group sport.
- Sydney's toast is warm, clumsy and about to go wrong.
- The mother's story shows how quickly Peter falls.
- Zooey's barbs are half joke and half warning.
Listen for
- There you go — Link there you go so it sounds like there-ya-go.
- so many great — Link so many and stress great at the end.
- jamming a lot — The g in jamming runs into a, and lot ends short.
Same here. And let me tell you, this guy, he's gaga over you. It's adorable.Sydney's compliment to Zooey: he tells her Peter is crazy about her, which instantly makes her like him and eases the meeting.
Sydney, this is my oldest friend in the world, Hailey.Peter's introduction of Hailey, the friend he has known longest — a detail that quietly underlines how few close friends he has.
You got this guy with the smoking hot wife.Sydney's toast line about another guest, delivered in front of the whole table — charming to some, a bit much for others.
It's a damn engagement party. What is wrong with you?Denise snapping at Barry because he's still bickering about the drive instead of celebrating, summing up their marriage in one line.
Questions about this scene
Why does Peter's mother mention all his old dates?
She's telling the story of how Peter met Zooey at this very restaurant, and she mentions his past dates as part of it — affectionate, but embarrassing in front of the whole table.
Why is Barry in a bad mood at the party?
He didn't want to come. He complains that he was told it was just a drop-by, and Denise fires back that it's a real engagement party, so the two bicker in front of everyone.
What does "gaga over" mean?
It means crazy about someone, completely smitten. Sydney uses it to tell Zooey that Peter is gaga over her, which is his way of winning her over instantly.
Why does Peter ask guests if they play an instrument?
He's excited about the band he and Sydney are putting together. He asks whether they'd want to jam, then finds out the piano in their house is just decorator furniture.
What does Sydney say in his toast?
He stands up to say a few words for Peter and Zooey, thanks the hosts, and then jokes about another guest's "smoking hot wife," which lands a little awkwardly.
I Love You, Man · 19 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 13between you and mePeter and Zooey Fight About Privacy
Chapter 1put a down payment onPeter Proposes to Zooey
Chapter 2take the leapPeter Misses the Joshua Tree Trip
Chapter 3strike up a conversationPeter Tries to Make Friends
Chapter 4get the hang of itPeter's Awkward Man-Dates
Chapter 5let one ripPeter Meets Sydney at an Open House
Chapter 6in a jiffPeter Calls Sydney for a Man-Date
Chapter 7Hands downPeter and Sydney's First Man-Date
Chapter 8wet my beakTevin Tries to Wet His Beak
Chapter 9man cavePeter Tours Sydney's Man Cave
Chapter 10squeeze inPeter Bonds with Sydney Over Music
Chapter 11rock your worldPeter Introduces Zooey to Rush
Watching · Chapter 12smoking hotPeter Introduces Sydney to His Family
Chapter 13between you and mePeter and Zooey Fight About Privacy
Chapter 14bail onSydney Tempts Peter to Skip HBO
Chapter 15weirded outZooey Confronts Peter About Sydney
Chapter 16hit it offPeter Asks Sydney to Be Best Man
Chapter 17good faithZooey Leaves Peter Before the Wedding
Chapter 18sick ofPeter Confronts Sydney Over Billboards
Chapter 19broke the moldPeter and Sydney Make UpChapter 12 of 19 · about 30 min to go