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I Love You, Man · 2009 — Chapter 6 of 19 · 3'20" · B1

Peter Calls Sydney for a Man-Date, Explained: in a jiff

Peter finally phones Sydney, but his practiced opener falls apart: "I forgot what I was saying." Under the fumbling is how badly Peter wants this friendship — he rehearses the call, flubs it, and, when Sydney calls back, blurts a phrase he's never used before.

What happens

Peter calls Sydney to set up a hangout but keeps stumbling over his words and hangs up annoyed. Around the same time, brunch with friends turns awkward when someone admits she is trying to get pregnant and another jokes about imagining her with her husband. Then Sydney calls back, and Peter, flustered, agrees to meet at James' Beach Bar and Grill.

Phone callsSmall talkInvitingTeasingFriendsB1mediumamerican
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Listen for

know what to doget togetheras long astrying to get pregnant

00:00 / 03:20
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Phrase of the scene

in a jiff

in a moment

Peter blurts out a phrase he never uses, then admits he does not know why.

Hang on, I'll be there in a jiff.

Also in this scene

  • know what to do

    know the drill

  • get together

    meet up

  • as long as

    provided that

  • trying to get pregnant

    attempting to conceive

  • had a great time with you

    enjoyed your company

Everything marked in this scene

29 notes across 59 lines

Phrase · A2know what to do

know the drill

Sydney's voicemail greeting replaces the usual beep message with a confident order.

Fife. You know what to do.
Phrase · B2have a showing

had a viewing to host

I met you last week at an open house, and I had a showing and. . .
Phrase · A2get together

meet up

In the voicemail Peter suggests meeting up, keeping the invitation light.

Anyway, I was wondering if you ever wanted to get together and talk about real estate and whatnot. Or whatnot. And. . .
Phrase · B2and whatnot

and so on

Anyway, I was wondering if you ever wanted to get together and talk about real estate and whatnot. Or whatnot. And. . .
Grammar · B1if you ever wanted to

if-clause: The if-clause after I was wondering softens the request into a polite hint.

Anyway, I was wondering if you ever wanted to get together and talk about real estate and whatnot. Or whatnot. And. . .
Soundget together

The t in get drops and together runs on.

Anyway, I was wondering if you ever wanted to get together and talk about real estate and whatnot. Or whatnot. And. . .
Phrase · A2no rush

no hurry

Yes, the open house and we met. . . Anyway, no rush.
Slang · B2a mo

a moment — British casual shorthand for a moment.

You call me back whenever you get a mo. Get a moment.
Phrase · A2have a great day

enjoying your day

All right. Hope you're having a great day.
Phrase · B1as long as

provided that

Peter sets his one condition: he will accept the risk as long as he can still eat raw fish.

I'm fine with a little mercury poisoning as long as it means I get to eat raw fish, 'cause I love it so much.
Grammar · B1as long as it means

condition clause: As long as introduces the condition that makes the main clause true.

I'm fine with a little mercury poisoning as long as it means I get to eat raw fish, 'cause I love it so much.
Soundas long as

Link as long as into one smooth phrase.

I'm fine with a little mercury poisoning as long as it means I get to eat raw fish, 'cause I love it so much.
Phrase · B1try to get pregnant

attempting to conceive

Hailey shares that she and Barry are trying for a baby.

My doctor said it's really bad if you're trying to get pregnant.
Phrase · B1picture someone doing something

imagined you with Barry

I'm sorry. I just pictured you and Barry having sex.
Phrase · B1imagine someone doing something

picturing us doing it

Why are you even imagining us doing it anyway?
Grammar · B2imagining us doing it

gerund with object: Imagine takes us doing it, a gerund phrase acting as its object.

Why are you even imagining us doing it anyway?
Slang · B2manhunt

a search for someone — A teasing word for a search, not a real police hunt.

So, Peter, how's your little manhunt coming?
Phrase · A2have a great time with someone

enjoyed your company

Hailey relays that Barry and his friends enjoyed Peter's company the other night.

Well, I mean, Barry and his friends said they had a great time with you the other night.
Slang · B2pound

drink fast — Drinking slang; keep it out of formal talk.

Well, I just. . . I don't drink that much and they pound.
Phrase · B2pound drinks

drinking fast and hard

Peter explains why he could not keep up: the others were drinking hard.

They were pounding drinks.
Phrase · B1be used to something

not accustomed to

Yeah, you're not used to drinking that much.
Soundused to

Used to weakens to a single blended sound.

Yeah, you're not used to drinking that much.
Phrase · A2a man or a woman

male or female

Is that a man or a woman?
Phrase · B1a man-date

a platonic hang-out for men

After the call Peter keeps repeating a man-date, half excited and half nervous.

It's a man-date. It's a man-date. This is a man-date.
Phrase · B1look forward to something

eagerly await it

I look forward to it. Sounds great.
Phrase · B2in a jiff

in a moment

Peter blurts out a phrase he never uses, then admits he does not know why.

All right. I'll see you in a jiff.
Slang · B2in a jiff

in a moment — A playful, informal way to say very soon.

All right. I'll see you in a jiff.
Phrase · B2be flustered

flustered and nervous

Honey, you're all flustered. Who was that?
Phrase · A2have a boyfriend

has a boyfriend

-Oh, my God. Peter's got a boyfriend. -And I don't.

Peter Calls Sydney for a Man-Date, explained

What's really going on

Peter wants a friend so much that he scripts the phone call in advance, then freezes the moment it matters. The comedy of the brunch table is the same discomfort from the other side: friends who over-share about pregnancy and sex while nobody knows where the line is. When Sydney calls back, Peter's answer — "I could be in Venice by 5:00" — is less a plan than proof he'll say yes to anything. The phrase he invents, "See you in a jiff," and the way he immediately questions it, show how new this all is to him. Even Zooey's friends can tell: Peter has, at last, someone to hang out with.

Theme

FriendshipPeter rehearses a call to a near-stranger and invents phrases just to keep a new friendship going.
CourageHe is terrified of the phone, but he dials anyway and later says yes to meeting Sydney without hesitation.

What you'll learn

  • In a jiff is a light way to say very soon
  • As long as sets one condition
  • A man-date is a coined term for male friendship
  • Look forward to it signals real eagerness

Listen for

  • get together — The t in get drops and together runs on.
  • as long as — Link as long as into one smooth phrase.
  • used to — Used to weakens to a single blended sound.
Fife. You know what to do.

Peter's rehearsed opener for the call, spoken like a command to himself; he's trying to sound confident before dialing.

I'm fine with a little mercury poisoning as long as it means I get to eat raw fish, 'cause I love it so much.

A brunch guest's joke about weighing raw-fish cravings against mercury risk, said as the table drifts toward health talk.

Anyway, I was wondering if you ever wanted to get together and talk about real estate and whatnot. Or whatnot. And. . .

Peter's nervous invitation to Sydney, padded with vague small talk and repeated whatnot because he doesn't know how to just ask.

I've never said that expression before in my life. I just said, "See you in a jiff."

Peter is startled by his own slang after the call, proof of how eager he is to impress his new friend.

Questions about this scene

Why does Peter rehearse the call to Sydney?

He has never had to make a male friend before and is afraid of sounding awkward, so he practices a cool opening line and still fumbles it.

Why does the brunch conversation get awkward?

One friend mentions she is trying to get pregnant, and another jokes about imagining her and her husband having sex, which nobody at the table wanted to picture.

What does "in a jiff" mean?

It's an old-fashioned way of saying in a moment or very soon, like in a jiffy; Peter says it on the phone and then wonders why he did.

Why does everyone tease Peter about having a boyfriend?

He is suddenly so excited and flustered about a man that his friends joke he has a boyfriend; Zooey's single friend answers by complaining that she doesn't have one.

Why does one woman turn the joke back on herself?

Because she is single; when the friends tease that Peter now has someone, she points out that she still doesn't.

I Love You, Man · 19 chapters

All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 7Hands downPeter and Sydney's First Man-Date
Chapter 1put a down payment onPeter Proposes to ZooeyChapter 2take the leapPeter Misses the Joshua Tree TripChapter 3strike up a conversationPeter Tries to Make FriendsChapter 4get the hang of itPeter's Awkward Man-DatesChapter 5let one ripPeter Meets Sydney at an Open HouseWatching · Chapter 6in a jiffPeter Calls Sydney for a Man-DateChapter 7Hands downPeter and Sydney's First Man-DateChapter 8wet my beakTevin Tries to Wet His BeakChapter 9man cavePeter Tours Sydney's Man CaveChapter 10squeeze inPeter Bonds with Sydney Over MusicChapter 11rock your worldPeter Introduces Zooey to RushChapter 12smoking hotPeter Introduces Sydney to His FamilyChapter 13between you and mePeter and Zooey Fight About PrivacyChapter 14bail onSydney Tempts Peter to Skip HBOChapter 15weirded outZooey Confronts Peter About SydneyChapter 16hit it offPeter Asks Sydney to Be Best ManChapter 17good faithZooey Leaves Peter Before the WeddingChapter 18sick ofPeter Confronts Sydney Over BillboardsChapter 19broke the moldPeter and Sydney Make Up
Chapter 6 of 19 · about 59 min to go