“I still want to get a second opinion, wouldn't I?”
Por qué es buena
A medical metaphor makes a refusal sound like simple common sense rather than distrust.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
I still want to get a second opinion before we sign.
00:00 / 03:08
00:00 / 03:08
Clifford Asks for a Second Opinion, Explained
Deathtrap · 1982
Capítulo 8 de 30 · 3'08"
Clifford won't hear Sidney's rewrite ideas until there's a deal on paper. He makes his case with a doctor analogy: even a top specialist's advice deserves "a second opinion." It is a polite no, and it quietly reverses the power in the room — the young playwright sets the terms, not the famous author.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:24–2:27
❝ Monólogo · 7 frases Clifford Wants a Second Opinion
63s - 2:33–3:06
❝ Monólogo · 4 frases Sidney Refuses to Play Wet Nurse
33s
Clifford Asks for a Second Opinion, explained
What happens
Clifford Anderson visits the Bruhls to discuss a collaboration on his play, Deathtrap. Sidney is eager to share his rewrite ideas, but Clifford politely refuses to hear them before any deal is settled. He compares it to wanting a second medical opinion, and says he would rather send the play to agents first.
What's really going on
The scene is a negotiation disguised as good manners. Everyone is complimentary, and nobody is agreeing. Clifford's doctor analogy — 'I still want to get a second opinion, wouldn't I?' — sounds modest, but it is a refusal, and it puts Sidney in the position of waiting. Clifford even thanks Sidney 'for going out of your way to help me' while making clear he won't hear a single idea until an 'understanding or arrangement' exists. Myra tries to smooth things over, and Sidney bristles, jealous of the rival play and unwilling to waste time on 'wet-nurse work.' Underneath the courtesy, the younger writer is already holding the cards.
Key lines & what they mean
- “I still want to get a second opinion, wouldn't I?”
- Clifford's polite way of saying no: he frames his refusal as the normal caution anyone would show before committing.
- “He'll think he has the wealth of the Indies...”
- An exaggerated worry that praise will make Clifford think he has endless treasure and stop negotiating fairly.
- “I am very grateful to you for going out of your way to help me.”
- A gracious thank-you that sits right beside a refusal, letting Clifford seem grateful while giving up nothing.
- “Look, it's as if I went to a doctor.”
- The setup for the analogy: a scene about creative collaboration is compared to a patient weighing medical advice.
- “I'll be back begging you to do what Mrs. Bruhl suggested.”
- Clifford's escape hatch: he promises to return only if the play is rejected, which keeps him in control now.
Theme
- Power — Polite manners mask a tug of war: the unknown playwright quietly sets the terms while the famous author has to wait.
- Ambition — Both men want the play for their own reasons — one to launch a career, the other to save one.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel2/7
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“He'll think he has the wealth of the Indies...”
Por qué es buena
An old-world exaggeration exposes both the visitor's imagined riches and the couple's fear.
Registro
literary
Úsala tú
After one deal, he thought he had the wealth of the Indies.
“I am very grateful to you for going out of your way to help me.”
Por qué es buena
The thanks is pinned to the trouble taken, which makes gratitude sound specific and sincere.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
I'm grateful to you for going out of your way to drive me home.
“Look, it's as if I went to a doctor.”
Por qué es buena
It reframes a deal as a visit to the doctor, making caution sound reasonable.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
Look, it's as if I hired a lawyer before I signed.
“I'll be back begging you to do what Mrs. Bruhl suggested.”
Por qué es buena
He offers to come back begging, which quietly keeps the whole deal in his hands.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
I'll be back begging you to take the project on.
Monólogo
Un personaje sostiene la escena: practícalo entero❝ Clifford's polite refusal
But you see, the thing is .... Look, it's as if I went to a doctor. One of the world's leading specialists and he recommended surgery. Even with all my respect for his eminence, his experience... I still want to get a second opinion, wouldn't I? I'm sure that your ideas are terrific... And when I hear them, I'm probably going to say: "Why didn't I think of doing it that way?"
He wraps a firm refusal inside a doctor's metaphor so it never sounds like a no.
❝ Sidney shuts it down
Myra here has just been rattling on for a moment. The fact is, I do not wish to set aside a play... As timely and inventive as The Drowning Wife... In order to do wet-nurse work on something as speculative as Deathtrap.
He excuses his wife first, then closes the whole matter in a single cool sentence.
Siguiente · 09hit a snagLa escena: Sidney Handcuffs CliffordIdeas clave
Lo que te llevas- A doctor metaphor lets Clifford say no without saying it.
- Myra argues audiences, not art, which tells you what she values.
- Sidney's final line ends the discussion by refusing to babysit.
- Clifford's politeness is a way of keeping control.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy does Clifford refuse Sidney's rewrite ideas?
He won't hear them before there is a deal, saying it wouldn't be fair to listen and then walk away. It also lets him keep all his options open.
Why does Clifford mention a second opinion?
He uses a medical analogy to justify not hearing Sidney's ideas yet: a patient would still want another doctor's view before agreeing to treatment.
What does Myra want?
She wants the collaboration to work. She urges Sidney to help Clifford the way George S. Kaufman once helped him, which is what puts Sidney on the spot.
How does Sidney react to Clifford's plan?
Badly. He doesn't want to set aside his own play, The Drowning Wife, to do 'wet-nurse work' on something as uncertain as Deathtrap.