“More millionaires than you can shake a stick at.”
Why it's great
One homespun idiom turns a room full of rich men into a comic swarm.
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Informal
Use it yourself
There are more food stalls than you can shake a stick at.
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Osgood Courts Daphne, Explained
Some Like It Hot · 1959
Chapter 10 of 19 · 5'01"
At the Florida hotel the girls find a lobby full of millionaires, and one of them, Osgood, promptly falls for Daphne. He admires her ankle, hints at his divorces, and invites her out; she tries to shake him, telling him, "You're barking up the wrong fish"—a joking twist on the usual saying.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:24–1:18
The Girls Spot the Millionaires
55s - 1:18–1:53
❝ Monologue · 10 lines Daphne Fends Off Osgood
35s
Osgood Courts Daphne, explained
What happens
The band lands at a Florida hotel packed with wealthy older men. Osgood Fielding III introduces himself to Daphne, compliments her ankle, and tells her about his many marriages and his yacht back home. She deflects him with a joke about fishing, but he insists on driving her around the park—and later a bellhop tries the same move.
What's really going on
The scene plays Daphne's disguise as a magnet for the wrong attention. Osgood isn't a threat; he's lonely, polite, and completely convinced, which makes his pursuit funnier the harder Daphne pushes back. Her best line, "You're barking up the wrong fish," is a botched version of a common idiom, and it lands because Osgood really has been talking about deep-sea fishing. Meanwhile Josephine is coaching Sugar away from her old weakness—"Forget it, Sugar. Forget saxophone players"—and toward a rich husband, while the bellhop's clumsy pass proves the disguise works on everyone. The irony is baked in: the more successfully the men flirt, the more dangerous the situation gets.
Key lines & what they mean
- “More millionaires than you can shake a stick at.”
- The girls sizing up the hotel: there are so many rich men that counting them is pointless, and the line turns the lobby into a buffet of prospects.
- “If there's one thing I admire, it's a girl with a shapely ankle.”
- Osgood's opening move—a flattering but oddly specific compliment that shows how harmless and eccentric he is.
- “You're barking up the wrong fish.”
- Daphne's botched version of "barking up the wrong tree," meaning he's pursuing the wrong person. The slip to "fish" is funny because Osgood was just talking about fishing.
- “I've been married seven or eight times.”
- Osgood says it casually, as if it were an ordinary fact, which is the joke: his wealth and charm come with a long, vague marital history.
- “Fascinating. Do you use a bow, or do you just pluck it?”
- Osgood's sincere curiosity about how Daphne plays the bass—he's genuinely interested, and the question lands as both polite and slightly suggestive.
Theme
- Deception — Daphne's disguise works almost too well: millionaires and bellhops alike fall for her, and every admiring line depends on the lie holding.
- Romance — Sugar's search for a rich husband and Osgood's instant courtship frame love as a transaction, while Josephine quietly steers Sugar to a better "catch."
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level1/7
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 there's one thing I admire, it's a girl with a shapely ankle.”
Why it's great
The solemn build-up makes the compliment about an ankle both grand and absurd.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
If there's one thing I admire, it's a well-made loaf.
“You're barking up the wrong fish.”
Why it's great
Swapping tree for fish turns a fixed phrase into a dry, elegant brush-off.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
For refunds you're barking up the wrong tree; try the front desk.
“I've been married seven or eight times.”
Why it's great
A casual count of marriages does all the character work in one breath.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
I've changed jobs six or seven times.
“Fascinating. Do you use a bow, or do you just pluck it?”
Why it's great
Feigned technical curiosity turns flirting into a deadpan punchline.
Register
Formal
Use it yourself
Do you string it by hand, or do you just buy it?
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ Osgood on his marriages
As a matter of fact, it's cost my family quite a bit of money. Oh, you invest in shows? Showgirls. I've been married seven or eight times. - You're not sure? - Mama is keeping score. Frankly, she's getting rather annoyed with me. I wouldn't wonder. So, this year, when the George White Scandals opened, she packed me off to Florida. Right now, she thinks I'm out there on my yacht... deep-sea fishing.
Each line drops another absurd detail as if it were the most ordinary thing.
Up next · 11wave a red flagThe scene: Jerry Is Sick of Being a WomanTakeaways
What you walk away with- A pun can refuse someone and flatter them at once.
- The old man hears no rejection at all.
- Miami money is the scene's real backdrop.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Osgood fall for Daphne so fast?
He's a wealthy eccentric who chases showgirls and actresses, and Daphne is new, pretty, and willing to joke with him. He isn't suspicious by nature, which is exactly why the disguise holds.
What does Daphne's "barking up the wrong fish" line mean?
It's a slip on "barking up the wrong tree," meaning he's chasing the wrong person. It's funnier because Osgood had just been describing his yacht and deep-sea fishing, so the mistake almost sounds intentional.
Is Daphne encouraging Osgood at all?
Mostly she's being polite to avoid a scene. She accepts a little help and small talk, then dodges his dinner invitation and tries to walk away, though he keeps following her.
What is Josephine telling Sugar to do?
To give up saxophone players and aim for a rich young husband instead. She promises Sugar will meet a millionaire, and it's clearly a setup for a plan of her own.
Why does the bellhop flirt with Daphne?
Because the disguise convinces him completely. He treats Daphne as a fellow hotel employee, offers to share hidden gin after his shift, and then invites himself into her room.