And we wanna thank Mr. Spell for putting that on for us.Toy Story · 1995 — Chapter 2 of 6 · 6'05" · B1
Toys Panic Over Andy's Birthday, Explained: lying down on the job
The party is moved to today, and the toys fear that new presents will replace them. One voice calms the room — "no one's getting replaced" — and reminds them what matters is being there for Andy. A recon mission follows to watch the gifts being opened.
What happens
Andy's birthday party is moved up to that same day, sending the toys into a panic about being replaced. Woody talks them down, and the toy soldiers are sent on a recon mission to report on each present as Andy opens it. A final surprise gift interrupts everything.
Listen for
steer someone wronglying down on the jobWay to goSave your batteries
00:00 / 06:05Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
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Phrase of the scene
lying down on the job
slack off while on duty
士兵们领命去侦察礼物，Woody 在楼下安抚大家，说这些人是专业的、不会偷懒。
The crew did not lie down on the job just because the foreman left.
Also in this scene
- steer someone wrong
give someone bad guidance
- Way to go
literally good job; here it is sarcastic
- Save your batteries
literally save battery power; also calm down and save effort
Everything marked in this scene
27 notes across 100 lines
weak form
Andy's birthday party has been moved to today.What's goin' on down there? Is his mom losin' her marbles?one's mind, in the idiom lose one's marbles
What's goin' on down there? Is his mom losin' her marbles?Of course Woody ain't worried. He's been Andy's favorite since kindergarten.If Woody says it's all right, then, well, darn it, it's good enough for me.a mild swear of annoyance
If Woody says it's all right, then, well, darn it, it's good enough for me.give someone bad guidance
Woody has never steered us wrong before.liaison
Woody has never steered us wrong before.Come on, guys. Every Christmas and birthday we go through this.Hey, listen, no one's getting replaced.nominal clause
It doesn't matter how much we're played with.What matters is that we're here for Andy when he needs us.what-clause subject
What matters is that we're here for Andy when he needs us.That's what we're made for, right?predicative clause
That's what we're made for, right?Pardon me. I hate to break up the staff meeting, but... they're here!Yes, sir, we're next month's garage sale fodder for sure.Very good, Woody. That's using the old noodle.slack off while on duty
Come on! They're not lying down on the job.liaison
Come on! They're not lying down on the job.A good soldier never leaves a man behind.I knew you were right all along, Woody. Never doubted ya for a second.weak form
I knew you were right all along, Woody. Never doubted ya for a second.Oh, get outta the... One of the kids is in the way. I can't see.a big lizard; used as a jab
Oh, ya big lizard!literally good job; here it is sarcastic
-Now we'll never know what it is! -Way to go, Rex!Toys Panic Over Andy's Birthday, explained
What's really going on
The scene is a small workplace drama about job security. For the toys, Andy's attention is the whole economy: a new gift is not just a gift but a possible demotion, and they run through the same anxiety every holiday. Woody is the one who manages that fear, and his reassurance is less about facts than about identity — "What matters is that we're here for Andy when he needs us." The recon mission turns that worry into comedy, with the toy soldiers filing reports on wrapping paper as if it were a war. The punchline is built the same way: everyone relaxes the moment the last gift turns out to be a board game, and then the surprise present lands and the panic starts over.
Theme
FriendshipWoody calms the other toys by reminding them they exist to be there for Andy, not to be his favorite.
SurvivalThe toys treat every birthday as a threat to their place, and scramble to keep from being replaced.
What you'll learn
- Use staff meeting in the same situation
- Hear for crying out loud as pressure, not small talk
- Catch who the line is aimed at
Listen for
- has been moved — weak form
- steered us — liaison
- down on — liaison
- for a second — weak form
What matters is that we're here for Andy when he needs us.Woody's answer to the panic: their purpose is to be there for Andy, not to be his favorite.
That's what we're made for, right?A rhetorical close to his pep talk, turning being played with into a calling.
A good soldier never leaves a man behind.The soldier's line, refusing to abandon a fallen comrade during the recon mission.
Yes, sir, we're next month's garage sale fodder for sure.Self-mocking dark humor: the toys joke that they are already junk headed for a yard sale.
I just don't think I could take that kind of rejection!Rex's confession that the fear of being replaced is really a fear of rejection.
Questions about this scene
Why is the birthday party moved up?
Andy's family is about to move, so his mother moves the party earlier. The toys only hear the change and immediately fear a timeline that threatens them.
Why are the toys so afraid of new presents?
Because a newer toy could become Andy's favorite and push them aside. For them, a birthday is not a celebration but a risk of being replaced.
What does lying down on the job mean?
It means slacking off or being lazy at work. The toys use it to defend a group, insisting that they would never do such a thing.
What is the recon mission?
The toy soldiers are sent to watch the gift opening and report back like scouts. They narrate each present in military radio language, which turns the toys' anxiety into a running joke.
What is the surprise present at the end?
A huge gift is pulled from the closet while the recon signal cuts out, so the toys never learn what it is. It is the cliffhanger that brings in a new toy.
Toy Story · 6 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 3with my eyes closedBuzz Arrives in Andy's Room
Chapter 1the coast is clearToy Story Opening Western Play
Watching · Chapter 2lying down on the jobToys Panic Over Andy's Birthday
Chapter 3with my eyes closedBuzz Arrives in Andy's Room
Chapter 4good riddanceWoody Accused of Pushing Buzz
Chapter 5What's gotten into youBuzz Gets Chosen by the Claw
Chapter 6Snap out of itWoody Rescues a Broken BuzzChapter 2 of 6 · about 24 min to go