Early bird · 26 days leftLog in

❝ Monologues · 22 lines · B2

The trouble with you young fellows is you want to go changing everything. What's the result?

The general's lecture · The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

The trouble with you young fellows is you want to go changing everything. What's the result?

Line 1 of 22

You spent all your leave in a nursing home full of foreigners.

No pauses, keep up with the actor

Space play/pause · ← → previous/next line · R replay

1The trouble with you young fellows is you want to go changing everything . What's the result?
In the sceneThe general opens his scolding with a verdict: young men keep trying to change everything.
Everyday exampleThe trouble with your idea is timing.
2You spent all your leave in a nursing home full of foreigners.
3You cost the Treasury a lot of money .
4You make the Foreign Office very cross .
5Yes, very cross.
6And what do you get for it? Your beauty's spoiled.
7You weren't any fashion plate before.
8I'd be surprised if any woman would look twice at you.
9- So would I. - When you were here in January, I told you very
10clearly it was not your concern, it was an Embassy job.
11Well, sir, I thought I'd take a chance.
12A chance? A chance?!
13You can't afford to take a chance with your career, my boy.
14You are in the Army as a career, aren't you ? Not for five minutes?
15You were putting up a pretty good show. You go barging in on this nonsense,
16and you come very near to getting yourself kicked out.
17- You don't want to get kicked out, do you? - No, sir.
18Well, let me tell you one thing.
19Don't bother your head with things you don't understand and you won't go far wrong .
20Never go off at half-cock. Keep cool.
21Keep your mouth shut and avoid politicians like the plague.
22That's the way to get on in the Army.

Why it's worth practising

He stacks up the costs, then drills the lesson into a few blunt rules for survival.

From

go off at half-cockWatch the full chapter →

Phrases in this speech

The trouble with look twice at go off at half-cock like the plague

Make shadowing a habit

Sign in to save monologues and keep track of the lines you've practised.

More monologues from The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

More monologues

All monologues →