Learn English with The Big Bang Theory - Sheldon Goes to Jail

Sheldon, this is a summons.

A summons? for what?

Looks like you ran a red light on Marengo Avenue at 9:30 p.m. on November 16th. They got you on a traffic camera. Nice picture.

November 16th?

Penny, that’s the evening you fell in your bathtub. And I had to drive you to the emergency room.

No, it isn’t.

Yes, it is.

No, it isn’t.

Okay, then why is a summons for a traffic violation committed in your car, bearing your license plates, coming to me?

Sheldon, this is a summons.

A summons? for what?

As a verb, to summon someone to do something is a formal term that means to order or ask someone to come to a certain place.

you’ll hear this phrase in legal or official contexts, as in:

The president summoned an emergency meeting of his advisors.

I have been summoned to appear in court.

You’ll also hear this in TV shows or movies that have a fantasy theme or are set in medieval times, like Game of Thrones:

He has united those wildlings with the Northern Houses, so together they may face their common enemy.

He sounds like quite a man.

Summon Jon Snow.

However, back to its legal meaning, as a noun this word is used in the plural form: summons.

This is an official order to appear in a court of law.

Looks like you ran a red light on Marengo Avenue at 9:30 p.m. on November 16th.

if you run a red light, you do not stop when the traffic lights are red.

November 16th?

Penny, that’s the evening you fell in your bathtub. And I had to drive you to the emergency room.

this incident was part of a previous episode of the big bang theory.

we made a lesson with it as well, so feel free to watch it after you’re done watching this lesson.

No, it isn’t.

Yes, it is.

No, it isn’t.

Okay, then why is a summons for a traffic violation committed in your car, bearing your license plates, coming to me? Words such as crime, violation, offense or infraction collocate with commit.

You commit to traffic violations by speeding or as it’s the case here by running a red light.

Let’s see the file.

we don’t have a file.

You’re working file-less?

we saw the guy commit a felony. He tried to have a cop killed.

crazy hot cop.

Well, he’s a specific type.

Sheldon uses bear as a synonym of have hear, so a car that bears a certain license plate, means it has that license plate.

Alright. let’s go!

Wait. hold on.

before we get to the courthouse I’d like to call on your skills as an actress.

What is this?

I’ve taken the liberty of scripting your appearance on the witness stand.

Because, let’s face it, you’re somewhat of a loose cannon, Now— don’t worry, it’s written in your vernacular. So, shall we rehearse?

Do I have a choice?

of course, you have a choice.

Although we live in a deterministic universe, each individual has free will. Now, sit down.

“Do you remember that date?”

“Darn tooting, I do. If the court will excuse my homespun, corn-fed, Nebraskan turn of phrase.”

Excellent. go on.

“The reason that date is, like, so totally fixed in my memory is that I had the privilege to be witness to one of the most heroic acts I’ve ever seen in, like, ever”.

“And who formed that heroic act?”

why you did, sir. You Dr. Sheldon Cooper.

And may I add, it is a privilege to know you.”

Totally.

a teardrop rolls down my cheek?

only suggestion. a catch in your throat would work just as well.

but it is a fact that it’s a privilege to know you. Totally.

Alright. let’s go!

Wait. hold on.

before we get to the courthouse I’d like to call on your skills as an actress.

A courthouse is a building containing legal courts and government offices.

to call on something means to make use of a certain quality you or another person has.

U.S.A! USA!

USA!

I’d like to call on the power of my three favorite Americans: Ronald Reagan, Larry Bird and Jesus Christ himself.

what is this?

I’ve taken the liberty of scripting your appearance on the witness stand.

if you say that you have taken the liberty of doing something, you are saying that you had done it without asking permission.

check this out.

I took the liberty of scripting a new outgoing voice mail message for both of us.

let’s face it, you’re somewhat of a loose cannon, Now

Saying someone is a loose cannon is a way to describe someone as having an uncontrolled behavior and likely to cause problems unintentionally.

the president of the United States is known to make controversial remarks and because of this many have described him as a loose cannon.

Raising doubts and questions about our values, about our intentions. he is a loose cannon.

So, in the clip, Sheldon doesn’t trust Penny’s ability to defend him at court, so he took the liberty of writing down what she’ll say.

Let’s face it, you’re somewhat of a loose cannon. Now

We use the expression let’s face it before saying something unpleasant but true.

And it’s the one place we’re trying to get to.

It’s just where we can’t get.

Let’s face it, Mr. Frodo, we’re lost.

which of the options below does not mean the same as somewhat?

Somewhat, like rather and slightly, means to some degree.

So, um, anyway—

I – I’ve lived in New York, somewhat wildly, I guess for, um—Well, since I was 14.

Don’t worry, it’s written in your vernacular.

So, shall we rehearse?

To rehearse means to practise (a play, piece of music, or other work) for a later public performance.

What’s funny about what Sheldon wrote for Penny to say is that it’s an exaggeration of her Nebraskan vernacular.

This is the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.

Sheldon’s script is an exaggeration of the fact that Penny grew up in a rural area. Let’s see why.

Do you remember that date?

Darn tooting, I do. If the court will excuse my homespun, corn-fed, Nebraskan turn of phrase.”

Darn tooting means absolutely or, “You are absolutely correct”.

this is more commonly heard in the rural towns in the US and of course, not in a courthouse.

a more common and less polite way to say this would be ‘damn right’.

Turn of phrase is used to refer to certain way of talking or of talking or to an expression that’s said or worded in a particular way, especially in a way that makes it funny or memorable.

If the court will excuse my homespun, corn-fed, Nebraskan turn of phrase.”

Corn-fed refers to the fact that someone grew up eating corn.

Homespun means ordinary.

Both these terms just add to the fact that the way she’s talking is a wild exaggeration of the vernacular used where Penny was raised.

“The reason that date is, like, so totally fixed in my memory

if something is fixed in your memory, you have a very clear picture of that in your head.

More generally, if something is fixed it’s fastened in a way and cannot be moved.

Times or amounts that are fixed cannot be changed.

in teaching, we often talk about to fixed expression.

That’s to say an expression that has a particular word order that can’t be modified.

is that I had the privilege to be witness to one of the most heroic acts I’ve ever seen in, like, ever”.

Did you notice the unnecessary like here?

We, native English speakers, are sometimes guilty of saying like too often, especially in the US.

However, the way Sheldon makes Penny say like here is funny because it is an especially unnecessary part of the sentence.

a teardrop rolls down my cheek?

only suggestion. a catch in your throat would work just as well.

A teardrop is a drop of liquid that comes from your eyes when you cry or tear up.

Notice the fixed expression that follows it.

A teardrop rolls down. We can also say runs down.

Then, a catch in someone’s throat or voice refers to the way someone speaks when they’re upset or crying.

Penny illustrates this really well here:

but it is a fact that it’s a privilege to know you. Totally.

very well. a quick opening statement.

like a milking stool, my case rests on three legs.

quod est necessarium est lictum, Sixth Amendment. my milk stool is complete.

impressive

thank you

Guilty. Pay the cashier.

I object. You’re completely ignoring the law. No, I’m following the law. I’m ignoring you.

Really? I would point out that I am at the top of my profession while you preside over the kiddie table of yours.

Dr. Cooper, before I find you in contempt and so throw you in jail—

I’m going give you a chance to apologize for that last remark.

I’m a scientist. I never apologize for the truth.

that’s my spot.

very well. a quick opening statement.

Like a milking stool, my case rest on three legs.

this is a milking stool and as you can see in the picture it has or rests on three legs.

impressive

thank you

Guilty. Pay the cashier.

I object. You’re completely ignoring the law.

to object is to feel or say that you oppose or disapprove of something.

Example, he strongly objected to the times that the contract.

Sheldon, this is a summons.

A summons? for what?

Looks like you ran a red light on Marengo Avenue at 9:30 p.m. on November 16th. They got you on a traffic camera. Nice picture.

November 16th?

Penny, that’s the evening you fell in your bathtub. And I had to drive you to the emergency room.

No, it isn’t.

Yes, it is.

No, it isn’t.

Okay, then why is a summons for a traffic violation committed in your car, bearing your license plates, coming to me?

Alright. let’s go!

Wait. hold on.

before we get to the courthouse I’d like to call on your skills as an actress.

What is this?

I’ve taken the liberty of scripting your appearance on the witness stand.

Because, let’s face it, you’re somewhat of a loose cannon, Now— don’t worry, it’s written in your vernacular. So, shall we rehearse?

Do I have a choice?

of course, you have a choice.

Although we live in a deterministic universe, each individual has free will. Now, sit down.

“Do you remember that date?”

“Darn tooting, I do. If the court will excuse my homespun, corn-fed, Nebraskan turn of phrase.”

Excellent. go on.

“The reason that date is, like, so totally fixed in my memory is that I had the privilege to be witness to one of the most heroic acts I’ve ever seen in, like, ever”.

“And who formed that heroic act?”

why you did, sir. You Dr. Sheldon Cooper.

And may I add, it is a privilege to know you.”

Totally.

very well. a quick opening statement.

like a milking stool, my case rests on three legs.

quod est necessarium est lictum, Sixth Amendment. my milk stool is complete.

impressive

thank you

Guilty. Pay the cashier.

I object. You’re completely ignoring the law. No, I’m following the law. I’m ignoring you.

Really? I would point out that I am at the top of my profession while you preside over the kiddie table of yours.

Dr. Cooper, before I find you in contempt and so throw you in jail—

I’m going give you a chance to apologize for that last remark.

I’m a scientist. I never apologize for the truth.

that’s my spot.