“And the way he was smirking at you, like a cat at a fishmonger's.”
Por qué es buena
A fishmonger's cat nails the greedy grin in a handful of words.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
He watched her walk by like a cat at a fishmonger's.
00:00 / 02:07
00:00 / 02:07
Captain Gregg Gets Jealous, Explained
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir · 1947
Capítulo 14 de 18 · 2'07"
Lucy comes home charmed by a man she met, and Captain Gregg can't hide how much it bothers him. He sneers that the fellow leered at her "like a cat at a fishmonger's" and calls her speech an imitation of the man. When Lucy says, "I believe you're jealous," he fires back, "jealousy is a disease of the flesh."
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:59–1:58
Captain Gregg Denies Being Jealous
59s
Captain Gregg Gets Jealous, explained
What happens
Lucy returns home after meeting a man who charmed her, and Captain Gregg is waiting with an opinion. He claims the man smirked at her "like a cat at a fishmonger's," says she should have slapped him, and accuses her of lying about her daughter's taste to flatter him. Then he tells her he isn't sure he wants her to buy the house after all.
What's really going on
The surface fight is about one rude visitor, but the real subject is that Captain Gregg can't stand another man near Lucy. He hides it badly. He lists the man's faults — the smirk, the condescension — and when Lucy calls him charming, he snaps, "Now you're starting to talk like him." His complaint that she lied to the visitor is really about her loyalty. Lucy names the thing directly: "Why, Daniel, I believe you're jealous," and he protests far too much: "Of course I'm not jealous! Do you take me for a blasted schoolboy?" His excuse — "jealousy is a disease of the flesh" — is an admission wearing a costume. Then his jealousy turns petty and controlling: he's "not sure I want you to have the blasted house after all," as if her independence is a betrayal of him.
Key lines & what they mean
- “And the way he was smirking at you, like a cat at a fishmonger's.”
- A jealous jab: the visitor looked at Lucy the way a hungry cat looks at a fish stall.
- “How in blazes do you want me to talk?”
- Lucy's exasperated reply to being told she sounds like the man — "blazes" adds heat to the question.
- “Why, Daniel, I believe you're jealous.”
- Lucy diagnoses him outright; she isn't offended, she's amused.
- “Besides, jealousy is a disease of the flesh.”
- His excuse for not being jealous: he's a ghost, so he supposedly can't feel it — which only proves the point.
- “I've never known you to be so disagreeable, today of all days.”
- Lucy notes that his sulking is worse than usual, and worse because today is the day her book was accepted.
- “I said men, not perfumed parlor snakes.”
- His distinction between the suitors he encouraged her to meet and the one smooth-talking man he actually saw.
Theme
- Romance — The captain's jealousy exposes feelings he won't admit, and Lucy sees straight through him.
- Pride — He would rather insult a rival and deny everything than admit he minds sharing her.
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“How in blazes do you want me to talk?”
Por qué es buena
Old-fashioned exasperation packed into a short, blunt question.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
How in blazes do you want me to park this thing?
“Why, Daniel, I believe you're jealous.”
Por qué es buena
She slips the accusation in gently with I believe, teasing rather than fighting.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
Why, I believe you're actually nervous about the speech.
“Besides, jealousy is a disease of the flesh.”
Por qué es buena
He dodges the charge by calling jealousy a disease of the flesh, quietly admitting he has none.
Registro
literary
Úsala tú
I can't be homesick; homesickness is a disease of the flesh.
“I've never known you to be so disagreeable, today of all days.”
Por qué es buena
The complaint lands on today of all days, making the timing the real injury.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
The printer broke, today of all days.
“I said men, not perfumed parlor snakes.”
Por qué es buena
Two words of contempt, perfumed parlor snakes, wipe out her whole list of admirers.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
I want a partner, not a perfumed parlor snake in a suit.
Siguiente · 15promise you the moonLa escena: Captain Gregg Says Goodbye to LucyIdeas clave
Lo que te llevas- Jealousy gets denied in the most literary way possible.
- The captain's insults are all about other people.
- Sulking is his way of saying he cares.
- Her small victory only sharpens his mood.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy is Captain Gregg so jealous of the man Lucy met?
Because he's in love with her and can't admit it. He encouraged her to meet men in the abstract, but seeing one actually charm her makes it real.
Is Captain Gregg actually jealous, or is Lucy reading into it?
He all but confesses. He admits he'd have pushed the man out of the cab, and his excuse that jealousy is "a disease of the flesh" is a denial that contradicts itself.
Why does the captain suddenly hesitate about letting Lucy buy the house?
Her buying the house with her own book money means she no longer needs him. His sulk over the "blasted house" is really fear of losing his place in her life.
Did Lucy lie to the publisher's man about Anna's favorite author?
Yes, and she doesn't deny it. She told him he was Anna's favorite, but Anna actually reads adventure tales and can't stand him — Lucy was just being polite.
What does "perfumed parlor snakes" mean?
It's the captain's insult for smooth, over-groomed men who flatter women indoors — a parlour snake instead of a real man. He's drawing a line between the men he endorsed and this one.