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American Hustle · 2013 — Capítulo 12 de 20 · 3'49" · B2

The Ocean Room Pitch, Explained: right off the bat

A guided tour of a restored casino room turns into a lesson in who really runs the business. One line asks, “You mean the Mob?” while the presentation keeps smiling and calls them businessmen.

Qué pasa

A host shows off a newly restored Ocean Room, praising the detail and claiming the work saved fifty million dollars right off the bat. He points to older men at the bar, calls them the biggest casino operators in the U.S., and a guest bluntly asks if they are the Mob.

MeetingsNegotiationPersuadingExplainingB2fastamericanClean
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Atento a

right off the batknow how it's donethe Mobnot sure that's such a good idea

00:00 / 03:49
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Expresión de la escena

right off the bat

from the very start

Someone turns a renovation bill into a boast, repeating the phrase to drive home an instant win.

Don't dismiss the plan right off the bat; give it one meeting.

También en esta escena

  • know how it's done

    to know the ropes, to be experienced enough to get it done

  • the Mob

    organized crime, the mafia

  • not sure that's such a good idea

    a soft way to say it's a bad idea

  • confer

    to discuss before deciding

  • delicate

    handle with care and tact

Todo lo marcado en esta escena

24 notas en 80 frases

Expresión · B2mind you

just to warn or qualify

Now, mind you, a week ago, this place was a mess.
Expresión · B1be a mess

be in disorder

Now, mind you, a week ago, this place was a mess.
Expresión · B1a trick of the eye

an optical illusion here, the painted sky looks real

Trompe I'oeil. "Trick of the eye."
Sonidoright off the bat

Let 'right off' blur together and land the stress on 'bat.'

Saved you $50 million. Look at me. $50 million, right off the bat, like that Right off the bat.
Gramática · B2the law that I helped write that said

relative clause: Two relative clauses stack after 'the law,' first identifying it and then stating what it required.

I waive the law that I helped write that said casino construction had to be built ground-up new. We don't do new.
Expresión · A2have a good time

enjoy oneself

Some gaming tables, some play money for people to have a good time.
Expresión · B1run a casino

operate casinos

They run the biggest casinos in the United States, and we have to work with them.
Expresión · B1know how something is done

to know the ropes, to be experienced enough to get it done

Someone reassures the group that the men at the bar know how things work and can get them done, before anyone names the Mob.

The good news is, they know how it's done, they get it done, you don't have to worry, everyone makes their money.
Expresión · B1get something done

complete a task

The good news is, they know how it's done, they get it done, you don't have to worry, everyone makes their money.
Expresión · B1make one's money

earn money

The good news is, they know how it's done, they get it done, you don't have to worry, everyone makes their money.
Jerga · B2the Mob

the mafia — Use it for organized crime, not casually for a group of friends.

You mean the Mob?
Expresión · B2spend as much or as little time as you like

as much or as little time as you choose

Now, spend as much or as little time with them as you like, but we do have to deal with them.
Gramática · B2as much or as little time with them as you like

as...as structure: The as...as frame makes the amount open: any duration is allowed.

Now, spend as much or as little time with them as you like, but we do have to deal with them.
Sonidogot to confer

Blur 'got to' and keep the stress on 'confer.'

We got to confer before we talk to these guys.
Expresión · B1come all this way

travel a long distance

Yeah, we come all this way. Irving, we came all this way, we should be here.
SonidoWhat's everybody scared of?

Lift the ending each time and stress 'scared'; let 'everybody' pass quickly.

What's everybody scared of? What's everybody scared of?
Expresión · B1get something all wrong

misjudge something completely

I think they got this room all wrong.
Jerga · B2party pooper

someone who spoils the fun — Teasing among friends; avoid it with strangers or in formal settings.

Hey, oh, no, it's because he's a party pooper.
Expresión · B2May I present someone

allow me to introduce

May I present Sheik Abdullah, gentlemen, from Abu Dhabi. Sheik, these are professionals, and they run the best casinos in the United States.
Expresión · B2as a sign of something

as proof of something

Mr. Sheik, as a sign of our seriousness, Mr. Tellegio came from Miami to meet you tonight.
Expresión · B2a sign of disrespect

a mark of disrespect

It's a sign of disrespect to talk, uh, business on the first meeting.
Gramática · B2It's a sign of disrespect to talk

dummy subject: The dummy 'it' lets the speaker present the rule first and the offending action after.

It's a sign of disrespect to talk, uh, business on the first meeting.
Expresión · B2be contagious

spread to others here, fun is the thing that spreads

Maybe it'll be contagious, huh?
Expresión · B2talk to someone that way

speak to me like that

Can you believe he talks to me that way'?

The Ocean Room Pitch, explicado

What's really going on

The politeness is the point. The room is framed as art and charity, but the real subject is the men at the bar. “You mean the Mob?” cuts through the tour language, and the reply tries to make organized crime sound routine: “Yes, but they're businessmen, okay?” The pitch keeps turning risk into reassurance, from “The good news is” to “everyone makes their money.” The tension sits between the restored plasterwork and the men sitting at the bar, between “right off the bat” and the warning that someone has to be delicate. Even “no disrespect” works as social lubricant: it lets a speaker push forward while trying to soften the insult.

Theme

CorruptionA polished casino tour normalizes mob involvement as a business necessity, with euphemism doing the work.
DeceptionThe room is sold through charm and helpful language, while the ugly partnership is introduced as good news.

Escucha con atención

  • right off the bat — Let 'right off' blur together and land the stress on 'bat.'
  • got to confer — Blur 'got to' and keep the stress on 'confer.'
  • What's everybody scared of? — Lift the ending each time and stress 'scared'; let 'everybody' pass quickly.
Saved you $50 million. Look at me. $50 million, right off the bat, like that Right off the bat.

The speaker claims the savings came instantly, before any long negotiation — a boast about speed and easy wins.

You mean the Mob?

A blunt question that names the criminal organization the polished talk has been avoiding.

Those guys over there? They don't scare me.

Someone dismisses the intimidating men at the bar and turns fear into a personal challenge.

It's a sign of disrespect to talk, uh, business on the first meeting.

A rule of etiquette is used to explain why business cannot start yet, while others treat the delay as insulting.

Preguntas sobre esta escena

Why do they keep calling the men at the bar “businessmen”?

Because the answer to “You mean the Mob?” is “Yes, but they're businessmen, okay?” The scene needs the partnership to sound normal and respectable even after the criminal connection has been named.

Why is talking business at a first meeting called disrespectful?

One line says, “It's a sign of disrespect to talk, uh, business on the first meeting.” Another line immediately calls that false and says making someone wait is the disrespectful part. Etiquette becomes a way to argue about the meeting.

What does “right off the bat” mean here?

It means instantly, at the very start. The boast is that fifty million dollars was saved immediately, before any long negotiation.

Why add “no disrespect” after saying the New York friend doesn't know the customs?

The phrase tries to soften an insult while the speaker keeps pushing everyone toward the back room. “No disrespect” is a disclaimer, not an apology; the pressure to meet continues.

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Capítulo 12 de 20 · quedan unos 29 min