“they're to the manor born.”
Why it's great
An old British phrase that pins the ease of the privileged in one stroke.
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literary
Use it yourself
He behaves like he was to the manor born.
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00:00 / 04:42
Jordan Tries to Bribe Agent Denham, Explained
The Wolf of Wall Street · 2013
Chapter 18 of 30 · 4'42"
The FBI turns up on Jordan's yacht, and instead of staying quiet he tries to make the agents a deal. An agent calls it what it is — an attempted bribe — and Jordan argues the law with him. Then the agent delivers a verdict of his own: "You, Jordan, you got this way all on your own."
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:19–0:56
Jordan Tries to Bribe an FBI Agent
37s - 0:58–1:17
❝ Monologue · 7 lines Denham on privilege
He trashes a whole class, then singles Jordan out, which is flattery with a hook.
19s - 2:57–3:25
❝ Monologue · 7 lines The phases of the pills
A calm, list-like narration of losing control makes the whole thing darkly funny.
29s
Jordan Tries to Bribe Agent Denham, explained
What happens
FBI agents board Jordan's boat, and rather than play it careful he tries to negotiate his way out of trouble. One agent says plainly that he just attempted to bribe a federal officer, and Jordan answers with a lecture on the criminal code. The agents decline the offer and leave.
What's really going on
The scene is a comedy of impunity. Jordan has been bribing and scheming for years, and on his own boat he treats a federal investigation as one more negotiation — a number, a percentage, a deal. The agent refuses to play, and his calm is what makes Jordan look small. Then he flips the flattery around: most of the men he arrests are "to the manor born", but Jordan, he says, "got this way all on your own." It sounds almost like respect, and that is the joke — the Bureau has been watching him long enough to know exactly what he is. Jordan answers by insulting them from his deck as they walk away.
Key lines & what they mean
- “they're to the manor born.”
- Most Wall Street men he arrests were born into wealth; the phrase frames them as entitled from birth.
- “You, Jordan, you got this way all on your own.”
- The agent's backhanded compliment: Jordan had no family money, which makes his crimes, in a way, more remarkable.
- “It was ass-covering time. I had to hide my money.”
- A blunt admission of motive: the Swiss account is not business strategy but self-protection.
- “Yeah, when you sail on a boat fit for a Bond villain, sometimes you need to play the part. Right?”
- Jordan's own joke about the yacht: living like a movie villain means acting like one, which is exactly what the agents see.
Theme
- Corruption — Jordan treats a federal probe as a business deal, showing how normal bribery has become to him.
- Class — The agent contrasts Jordan's self-made rise with the old-money brokers he usually arrests.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level0/10
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“You, Jordan, you got this way all on your own.”
Why it's great
It separates him from the privileged crowd and flatters him in the same breath.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
She got this far all on her own.
“It was ass-covering time. I had to hide my money.”
Why it's great
Crude slang sums up a whole cover-up and shows how practiced he is at it.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
It was damage-control time after the email.
“Yeah, when you sail on a boat fit for a Bond villain, sometimes you need to play the part. Right?”
Why it's great
It reframes showing off as playing a role, which excuses the whole spectacle.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
When you drive a car like that, you have to play the part.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ Denham on privilege
You know, Jordan, I'll tell you something. Most of the Wall Street jackasses that I bust, they're to the manor born. - Is that right? - Yeah. Their fathers are douchebags, just like their fathers before them. But you... You, Jordan, you got this way all on your own.
He trashes a whole class, then singles Jordan out, which is flattery with a hook.
❝ The phases of the pills
which started kicking in by the time I finished my sales meeting. My tingle phase. By dinner, I popped a few more on top of some cocktails and a Valium or two. My slur phase. and pretty much lost all my motor skills. This was the drool phase. The amnesia phase.
A calm, list-like narration of losing control makes the whole thing darkly funny.
Up next · 19beat yourself upThe scene: Jordan Probes Swiss Bank SecrecyTakeaways
What you walk away with- Jordan defends himself with a technicality, not a denial.
- Denham flatters Jordan while cornering him.
- The flight shows a man losing control in slow motion.
- Even his crime needs paperwork and timing.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Jordan try to bribe the FBI agents?
He has spent years solving problems with money and treats the investigation as one more deal. It is instinct, not a plan, and it hands the agents more evidence.
Why do the agents refuse Jordan's offer?
Because they are not there for a payoff; they are building a case. The agent points out that the attempt itself is a crime.
What does the agent mean by "to the manor born"?
It means born into wealth and privilege. He is saying the Wall Street men he usually arrests had family money, unlike Jordan.
What does Jordan plan to do with his money after the visit?
He hides it overseas. He says it was ass-covering time and arranges to move money into Swiss banks before heading to Geneva.