“Well, beggars can't be choosers, can they?”
Por qué es buena
A proverb and a shrug, aimed at oneself.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
When you're desperate, you take what's offered.
00:00 / 01:47
00:00 / 01:47
Felix and Calhoun Adopt the Racers, Explained
Ralph Breaks the Internet · 2018
Capítulo 5 de 21 · 1'47"
Felix and Calhoun consider adopting the battle racers, and Calhoun is not sold: "Those things are basically feral." Felix thinks parenting will be easy — "how hard can parenting be?" — until the kids start screaming for candles and complaining about the TV.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:41–0:55
❝ Monólogo · 4 frases Calhoun decides to adopt
She has never talked family, then she jumps with both feet. The speech is a charge, not a conversation.
14s - 0:59–1:32
❝ Monólogo · 5 frases Those Things Are Basically Feral
32s
Felix and Calhoun Adopt the Racers, explained
What happens
At the shelter, Felix and Calhoun think about adopting the racers. Calhoun warns that the children are basically feral and doubts this is the right way to spice up a marriage, while Felix insists parenting must be easy. The racers immediately prove her right by shrieking about candles and a TV with one channel.
What's really going on
The scene is a joke about parenthood and a quieter joke about marriage. Calhoun and Felix are looking for something new after six years together, and adopting a herd of wild racers looks like adventure. Calhoun sees the danger at once — "Those things are basically feral" — while Felix defends the idea with a sweet, clueless optimism: "Besides, how hard can parenting be?" He spells out his whole philosophy in a line, treating a child like a best friend who gets everything and is simply loved, which is exactly the wrong lesson. The punchline is immediate. The racers fight over a candle and complain that the TV has one channel, and Calhoun gets to say she told him so. What felt like a warm adoption story is also a warning about mistaking chaos for family.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Well, beggars can't be choosers, can they?”
- The blunt excuse that the orphans should accept any home, since they have no better option.
- “I know, it feels like the kind of thing you just jump into with both feet...”
- Felix's way of saying they should commit completely, with no plan and no hesitation.
- “Those things are basically feral.”
- Calhoun's warning that the racers are wild and will be far more than they can handle.
- “Besides, how hard can parenting be?”
- His famous last words, a line that invites the chaos that follows.
- “and you just love their little socks off.”
- The over-soft half of his parenting plan, loving the child more than is sensible.
Theme
- Parenthood — Felix's naive parenting plan is tested the moment the racers arrive and behave like feral kids.
- Marriage — Calhoun reads the adoption plan as a clumsy attempt to spice up a six-year marriage.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel0/4
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“I know, it feels like the kind of thing you just jump into with both feet...”
Por qué es buena
Leaping in wholeheartedly, with the sentence left unfinished.
Registro
literary
Úsala tú
It's the kind of choice you make without much planning.
“Those things are basically feral.”
Por qué es buena
Kids described like wildlife.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
Those kids are practically wild.
“Besides, how hard can parenting be?”
Por qué es buena
Famous last words, phrased as a rhetorical question.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
How hard can this really be?
“and you just love their little socks off.”
Por qué es buena
Affection overstated into comedy.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
And you just spoil them with love.
Monólogo
Un personaje sostiene la escena: practícalo entero❝ Calhoun decides to adopt
Felix, I know we've never once talked about having a family before, but... I know, it feels like the kind of thing you just jump into with both feet... and nary a plan. Felix and I will give them sanctuary.
She has never talked family, then she jumps with both feet. The speech is a charge, not a conversation.
❝ Felix's parenting lecture
Besides, how hard can parenting be? You treat the child like your best friend... you give them everything they want... and you just love their little socks off. Right, Tammy?
Treat them like pals, give them everything. The sweetness is the setup for the crash.
Siguiente · 06on the houseLa escena: Ralph Mishears eBayIdeas clave
Lo que te llevas- Notice how "beggars can't be choosers" changes the exchange.
- Listen for the attitude carried by "beggars can't be choosers".
- Try the phrase in a comparable conversation.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy does Calhoun object to adopting the racers?
She calls them basically feral and thinks they are the wrong way to spice up a marriage, predicting the chaos that follows.
What is Felix's plan for parenting?
He says you treat the child like your best friend, give them everything they want, and love them completely, which he seems to think is easy.
What do the racers do to prove Calhoun right?
They immediately scream and fight over a candle, and one complains that the TV only has one channel, turning the quiet scene into chaos.
What does 'beggars can't be choosers' mean here?
It is the excuse that the orphans should accept whatever home they get, since they have little choice in the matter.