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What are the meaning of these phrases

Posted by Smokey Stover on July 24, 2005

In Reply to: What are the meaning of these phrases posted by ESC on July 24, 2005

: : : THE WEST WING
: : : "PILOT"
: : : WRITTEN BY: AARON SORKIN
: : : DIRECTED BY: THOMAS SCHLAMME
: : : ACT ONE

: : : WAITER [VO]
: : : Two Absolut Martinis up; another Dewars rocks.
: : : FADE IN: INT. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL - GEORGETOWN - NIGHT
: : : SAM SEABORN is sitting with a reporter, BILLY KENWORTHY, in the bar.

: : : SAM SEABORN
: : : I don?t think we?re going to run the table, if that's what you?re asking.

: : : BILLY KENWORTHY [OS]
: : : It's not.

: : : SAM
: : : I know.

: : : BILLY [OS]
: : : Deep background. I'm not going to come close to using your name.

: : : SAM
: : : [laughs] You?re not going to come close to getting a quote, either.

: : : BILLY
: : : Why are we sitting here?

: : : SAM
: : : [taking a drink] You sat down.

: : : BILLY
: : : Is Josh on his way out?

: : : SAM

: : : No.

: : : BILLY
: : : Is he?

: : : SAM
: : : No.

: : : BILLY
: : : I know he's your friend.

: : : SAM
: : : He is.

: : : BILLY
: : : Did Caldwell say...?

: : : SAM
: : : Billy, I'm not talking about this.

: : : BILLY
: : : Who do I call?

: : : SAM
: : : No one.

: : : BILLY
: : : Just tell me who to call.

: : : SAM
: : : Well, you could call 1-800-BITE-ME.

: : : BILLY
: : : Sam.

: : : SAM
: : : He's not going anywhere, Billy. It's a non-story.

: : : BILLY
: : : Okay. You?re lying now, aren?t you?

: : : SAM
: : : That hurts, Billy. Why would I lie to a journalist of all people?

: : : BILLY
: : : Why do you keep looking over my shoulder?

: : : SAM

: : : Why?

: : : BILLY
: : : Yes.

: : : SAM
: : : ?Cause Alger Hiss just walked in with my secret pumpkin.

: : : BILLY
: : : What?

: : : SAM
: : : There's a woman over there. I think she's looking at me.

: : : BILLY
: : : Really?

: : : SAM
: : : I don?t know. I never know if they?re looking or not.

: : : Billy turns 180 degrees to see a woman sitting on a couch with a drink. She looks
: : : to see him obviously eying at her. Sam sighs.

: : : BILLY
: : : Yeah, I think she was.

: : : SAM
: : : I want to thank you for the casual way that you did that just now. She probably
: : : didn?t notice that.

: : : Sam makes eye contact with the woman and smiles.

: : : CUT TO: EXT. DAWN RISING OVER LARGE TUDOR STYLE HOUSE - DAY
: : : CUT TO: INT. DINING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
: : : LEO McGARRY is doing a crossword puzzle while eating breakfast. A television is
: : : turned on to the news.

: : : LEO McGARRY
: : : 17 across is wrong. It's just wrong. Do you believe that Ruth?

: : : RUTH
: : : You should call them.

: : : LEO
: : : I will call them.

: : : WOMAN [OS]
: : : Telephone, Leo.

: : : ..............
: : : What are the meaning of these phrases...
: : : Run the table
: : : Deep background
: : : secret pumpkin
: : : Bite-ME
: : : Co me close to

: : : Thank you very much!

: : That's got to be a record for the longest question...
: : "Run the table" (from pocket billiards) and "deep background" (from journalism) are both in the archives, and can be easily found in the search box on the previous page. "Secret pumpkin" is a reference to a spy scandal from 1948. "Bite me" is an insult that has morphed over the last ten years from shocking to common to passé. "Come close to" is literal: approach, come near to.

: No, the record is someone who asked about 147 phrases.

The questions were't so numerous, but the run-up was pretty long (but helpful ). I've read (in a quote from someone claiming to have been involved) that "bite me" was originally "bite my ass" (which is still a current phrase), toned down for television. "Bite my ass" is essentially equivalent to "Screw you!" or "Up yours!" SS

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