华尔街 Wall street

Wall Street
(Drama) ( 1987)
 

Major Characters

Bud (Buddy ) Fox...............Charlie Sheen
     A young, smart and very motivated  stock broker
     (seller) who dreams of making millions of dollars.

Gordon Gekko...................Michael Douglas
     A very rich, ruthless and immoral stock trader and "corporate raider," which is a
     person who buys and sells companies, often with horrible results for company workers.

Darien Taylor...................Daryl Hannah
     A young and beautiful interior decorator with very expensive taste,
     who is a friend of Gekko’s, and who soon becomes Bud’s girlfriend.

Carl Fox.........................Martin Sheen
     Bud’s father, a very honest and good man, who is an airplane
     mechanic and labor union leader at Blue Star Airlines.

Sir Larry Wildman................Terence Stamp
     An extremely rich British corporate raider, who often finds
     himself fighting against Gekko for control of various companies.

Lou Mannheim.....................Hal Holbrook
     An older trader at the brokerage (stock trading firm) where Bud works.

Roger Barnes.....................James Spader
     A corporate lawyer and old friend of Bud’s, who has inside
     (secret) information on many companies, thanks to his job.

Marv.............................John C. McGintey
     A fellow trader and friend of Bud’s.

Duncan............................William G. Knight
     The leader of the pilot’s union at Blue Star airlines.

Plot Summary

This movie is the story of a young and ambitious Wall Street stock broker named
Bud Fox, who is determined to become rich like his hero, a stock trader and corporate
raider named Gordon Gekko. Gekko is one of the richest, most ruthless and immoral
businessmen in the country, who routinely uses inside (secret) corporate information
to make deals, even though this is  completely illegal. He also buys companies cheap,
only to destroy them and their workers’ jobs in order to sell off the company’s assets
(such as planes, land, office buildings, etc). For Gekko, "greed is good."

After trying for several weeks, Bud gets to meet Gekko, and with a little luck, he is
soon working with him, making investments with an account Gekko has set up for him. Gekko promises Bud lots of "perks" (benefits) if he does well with the money, and those benefits
soon arrive. He also meets Darien at a party that Gekko is throwing, and now that he is
starting to make so much money, he can afford to go out with her, despite her very
expensive taste. Unfortunately, though Bud soon learns the dark side of Gekko’s trading
world, including his willingness to break any law, or for that matter, destroy any
company, to make more and more money. This includes even the company where Bud’s father
is the leader of the labor union, and for Bud, that is a bad deal that is just too close
to home.

This movie, which was made in 1987, does a good job of capturing the ambiance, and
more specifically, the greed, that was a big part of the American scene during the 1980s.
In fact, the character of Gordon Gekko is based loosely on a real corporate raider named
Ivan Boesky, who was fined $100,000,000 and sentenced to several years in jail for his
part in the insider trading scandals that shook Wall Street during that decade. Of course, wealth and money are relative; By the end of the 1990s, dozens of people in the US had accumulated fortunes in the billions of dollars, making the sums discussed in this
movie seem almost insignificant!

A Note on "Insider trading": This is the act of trading stock after acquiring information
from executives or other high officials inside a company. It is illegal, because it is
believed the person who has this information has an unfair advantage over those who don’t.
Of course, it is difficult to prove, and in the real world, many people often come very
close to breaking this law.

The Three Most Important Companies in this Film (All Fictional):

Blue Star Airlines:  The airline where Bud’s dad is a mechanic and union leader, which
is facing bankruptcy because it cannot compete with bigger airlines. Bud feels he can
save it, but Gekko has other ideas.

Teldar Paper: A huge paper company that Gekko wants to buy, forcing out
all of their management. Obviously, the management tries to resist this.

Anacott Steal:  A steal company that Larry Wildman wants to buy and save, and in theory,
make profitable for the long run. It becomes harder for Larry to do this when Gekko
begins to buy stock in it, thus driving up the price.


Some Words and Expressions that You May not Know


              Bud has a bad day at the office,
          losing $7,000 for all his hard work.


How are you doing? :: Doing any better, and it would be a sin.
     A silly way of saying things are going very well
     (A "sin" is an immoral act of which God disapproves).

Get out while you’re young, kid.
     Lou’s way of telling Buddy to leave the brokering business.

How are you doing, pal?
     "Pal" is an alternative word to friend (It is heavily used in this movie).

Marv,  I’ve got a feeling we’re gonna make a killing today.
     A slangy way of saying to make a lot of money.

Jesus, you can’t make a buck in this market.
     "Jesus" is a common way of showing emotion such as anger or
     frustration. A "buck" is a widely used way of saying a dollar.

The country is going to hell faster than when
that son of a bitch Roosevelt was in charge.
     If a person or country is "going to hell," it is becoming bad or weak.
     A "son of a bitch " is a vulgar way to refer to a mean or abusive person.

Putnam Drug.  :: No, it will take five years for that company to come around.
     In this case, for a company to "come around"
     means to become strong and profitable again.

Stick to the fundamentals. That’s how IBM and Hilton were built.
     In this case, a type of business advice that says companies should
     concentrate on doing what they do best (Building computers for IBM
     and running hotels for Hilton).

Look sharp, especially you, rookie.
     To "look sharp" is to look professional, or like you know what you’re
     doing. A "rookie" is a person who just started working in a new job.

Utilities are our top priority today.
     The companies that deliver gas and electricity.

Here’s a hot lead; Research just put thrifts on the recommended.
     A "hot lead" is a piece of information that could be very valuable.
     "Thrifts" are a type of small lending bank (The research department
     is recommending to buy the stocks of certain thrift banks).

Dump them, for Christ’s sake.
     "To dump" a stock is to sell it, often very quickly before it continues
     to go down in price. A very important verb in this film! "For Christ’s sake"
     is a common way of expressing frustration or other emotion

Jack, 30,000, 38 tops.
     A short way of telling Jack to buy 38,000 shares of a
     particular stock, but to pay no more than $38 per share.

We are in the middle of the biggest bull market that
our generation or any other has ever witnessed.
     A "bull market" is a stock market in which prices are going up (A "bear market"
     is when prices are going down). "To witness" something is to see or observe it.

If I could have five minutes of your time to explore the extraordinary
opportunities emerging in the international debt market.
     An "extraordinary opportunity" is a very rare chance, in this case to make
     a lot of money. "To emerge" is to appear or become known. The "debt market"
     is investments in corporate or government bonds (Debt is the money owed by
     one person or institution to another).

In 10 minutes it’s history, at 4:00 I’m a dinosaur!
     Marv’s way of saying that stocks must be sold extremely quickly,
     because their value changes dramatically in just a few seconds
     (If something "is history," it’s old and useless, and  "dinasours"
     are the huge monsters that ruled the earth millions of years ago).

Sure it’s gone down, but you got the tip, I didn’t.
     A "tip" is a useful piece of information or advise.

Oh give me a break! How the hell was I supposed to know you were in surgery?
     "Give me a break" is an excellent way of telling someone to stop saying
     nonsense, or to stop acting in a ridiculous way. "The hell" is added to
     Wh questions in order to show emotion such as frustration.

I’ll discuss that with the account executive and get back to you.
     An "account executive" is a prestigious or fancy way of
     referring to a salesman, or in this case, stock broker.

You tell me that he’ll DK you for a lousy 1/4 point?
     Here, to "DK" a broker is to claim you "don’t know" them, so that you
     don’t have to pay for a stock that has gone down in price since you bought it!
     "Lousy" is a good word for bad, or here, insignificant.

$7,000 loss! You assigned me to this guy and you
know he has a history of this kind of bullshit.
     "To assign" a client to a broker is to give them that person’s business.
     "Bullshit" is a vulgar but excellent word for lies, nonsense, or in this case,
     unethical or immoral behavior.

Howard the jerk reneged on me.
     A "jerk" is a widely used word for an idiot, bastard, ass, etc… 
     "To reneg" on a person is to refuse to do what you had promised them.

I’ve got to cover his losses to the tune of about seven grand.
     "To cover a person’s losses" is to pay for them. "To the tune of"
     is a way of saying "that are equal to…" A "grand’ is $1,000.

I’m tapped out, Marv. American Express has a hit man looking for me.
     In this context, if a person is "tapped out," they no longer have any
     credit left with their credit card company (Here, American Express).
     A "hit man" is a person paid to kill somebody.

What do I got? A c-note?  :: Thanks, Marv. I’ll make it up to you.
     A "c-note" is a $100 bill. "To make it up" to somebody
     is to pay them back for a favor they have done.

30 seconds after the Challenger blows up, Gekko’s
on the phone selling NASA stocks short.
     The "Challenger" was the space craft the blew up in 1986, killing all the
     astronauts on board. To "sell a stock short" is to buy investments that
     go up in value when the stock goes down. NASA is the National Aeronautics
     and Space Administration of the federal government.

And he had an ethical by-pass at birth.
     A funny line. "Ethical" is another word for moral, and a "by-pass" is a
     serious heart operation. This is a way of saying that Gekko was born without
     morals or ethics, or that that were by-passed at birth.


                Bud sees his dad, and then after
           39 days of calling, gets to meet Gekko.


Give me 50 grand and I’ll get you a condo in Florida next Christmas.
     Short for a "condominium," which is an apartment that people own.

You look like you’ve grown another inch, but you don’t look so hot.
     An inch is a unit of measurement, about the length of a thumb.
     If a person "doesn’t look so hot," they often look sick or weak
     (In other context, this could be referring to physical beauty).

You’re starting to get bags under your eyes, like your old man.
     A person’s "old man" is their father. Very slangy.

I had a tough day.
     A "tough" day is a difficult one.

DK: He didn’t know who I was when the options he bought took a bath.
     An "option" is an investment that bets on whether a stock will
     go up or down. If an investment "takes a bath," it goes down in value.

I told you not to get into that racket. You could have been a doctor.
     A "racket" is a very negative word for a profession in which
     people make money by cheating or manipulating others.

If you stayed at Blue Star, you could have
been a supervisor, instead of a salesman.
     A person who is in charge of others at a business or office.

50K doesn’t get you to first base in the big apple.
     "50 K" is $50,000. In this case, "first base" is the most minimum amount
     of money needed to live decently in New York. "The big apple" is a common
     nickname for New York City.

Come back home and live rent free, instead of
in that roach infested place you’re living in.
     A "roach" (or "cockroach") is an unpleasant insect, common in poor
     apartments. If a place is "infested" with insects, it is filled with them.

Jesus Christ, the whole world is off it’s rocker.
     If a person is "off their rocker," they are acting crazy.

That’s Queens, dad. A 5% mortgage and you rent the top room.
     "Queens" is a borough (section) of New York City, not on the island
     of Manhattan, which is where Wall Street is located. A "mortgage" is
     the monthly amount that a home owner pays a bank on a home loan.

I got to live in Manhattan to be a player;
There is no nobility in poverty anymore.
     In this case, "a player" is a person with huge amounts of money that
     can effect the future of stocks and companies. "Nobility" is another
     word for honor or dignity, and "poverty" is the state of being very poor.

Can you spare $300?
     A common verb meaning to lend or give away, most frequently heard
     on American streets in the question "Can you spare a quarter?"

Damn mandatory drug tests are driving my men crazy.
     "Damn" is a filler adjective that expresses anger or other emotion.
     If something is "mandatory," it is legally required (In this case,
     drug tests on the job to test for marijuana and other illegal drugs).

The FAA is going to rule it was a manufacturing
error on the door latch mechanism.
     The FAA is the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates all
     airplane traffic in the US. A "latch mechanism" is a part of a door
     that allows it to swing open and shut.

I kept telling them it wasn’t maintenance. It’s those
God damn greedy manufacturers in Cincinnati.
     In this case, "maintenance" refers to the mechanics at the airline that
     make sure the airplanes are safe. "God damn" is a stronger and more vulgar
     version of damn. Cincinnati is a major city in Ohio.

This gets us out from under suspension. We can
get new routes to Boston and Pittsburgh now.
     If a company is "under suspension,"  they are legally required to follow
     certain rules, often until an investigation is completed. Airline "routes"
     are the pathway between two cities that it’s allowed to fly. 

You’ve got that mischievous look in your eyes.
     An excellent word to describe a young boy who looks like they
     are about to do something that is wrong or not permitted.

I’ll give you a hint; You’re thinking seriously about marrying me.
     Another good word for a useful piece of information.

You can’t just come barging in here...and
what makes you think it’s his birthday?
     "To barge in" to an office is to quickly and forcefully enter it,
     often without knocking or warning the person inside.

Life all comes down to a few moments. This is one of them.
     If  life "all comes down to" a few moments, it means that
     these few moments will dramatically effect life in the future.

I loved it at 40; It’s an insult at 50.
     This is Gekko’s way of saying the stock price was good at
     40 dollars a share, but too expensive at 50 dollars a share.

Their analysts don’t know preferred stock from livestock.
     A funny play on words. In this context, "stock analysts" are people
     who study the true value of stocks and companies. "Preferred stock"
     is a type of company stock, while "livestock" is another word for cows!

There ought to be a picture of you in the dictionary under "persistence," kid.
     "Persistence" is the act of continuing to try for an extended
     period of time, despite an early lack of success.

I’m looking for 30, 35%, just enough to block anybody else’s merger
plans and find out from the inside if the books are cooked.
     A corporate "merger" is the act of two companies joining to become one.
     If a company’s "books are cooked," the accounting numbers they use to show
     profits are misleading or even false. Gekko is saying he wants to buy enough
     stock in the company so that he can get inside of corporate offices to
     investigate for himself.

If it looks as good on paper, we’re in the kill zone.
     If something looks good "on paper," it looks good when studied carefully.
     In this context, if a stock price is in "the kill zone," it is at a price
     that is worth buying.

Lunch?! Lunch is for wimps!
     A funny slang word for a weak or fragile person.

I’ve got to monitor my blood pressure, so whatever you do, don’t upset me.
     "To monitor" a medical condition is to observe it over a period of time.

Got an LCD readout, cost-effective. Less than one visit to a doctor.
     A computerized "readout" is a printed copy of information. If something
     is "cost-effective," it saves more money than it costs.

Jacob-Steinham. :: They’re going places, good junk bond department.
     Jacob-Steinham is the investment firm where Bud works. If it is "going places,"
     they are going to grow and become more successful. A "junk bond" is a high-risk
     corporate bond that pays a high interest rate.

You do the financing on that Janson investment?
     The "financing" of a business deal is the act of
     getting together the money that is  needed.

What are you?  12th man on the deal team, last to know?
     This is Gekko’s way of making fun of Bud for not knowing
     the details of a business deal that he supposedly involved in.

Whitewood Young. Explosive earnings, 30% discount
from the book, couple of 5% holders. :: It’s a dog.
     If a company has "explosive earnings," it is making a huge amount of money.
     If a company stock sells at 30% "discount from the book value," it is believed
     to be worth at least 30% more than what the stock is valued at. A "5% holder"
     is a person who owns 5% of the stock. For Gekko, if a company is "a dog," it is
     a bad or stupid investment.

If this guy owned a funeral parlor, no one
would die. This turkey is totally brain dead.
     A "funeral parlor" is a building where funerals occur for those who have
     recently died. All of this is Gekko’s way of saying the company is run by
     people who are stupid or have no business skills.

Keep on buying, dilute the son of a bitch. I want
every orifice in his fucking body flowing red.
     "To dilute" a stock holder is to reduce the percentage of stock that
     they own in the company. An "orifice" is a body hole (mouth, nostrils, etc…).
     This is Gekko’s very vulgar way of saying he wants another stock trader to
     lose control of a company he wants to buy.

Piece of cake. :: This guy is the best trader on the street.
     "Piece of cake" is a common way of saying something is very easy
     to do. "The street" is a widely used way of referring to Wall Street.

Tarafly. The breakup value is twice the market price.
     The "breakup value" of a company is how much money can be made by
     selling all of its assets, such as its property, technology, etc.
     The "market price" of a company is how much all of its stock is worth.

That’s a dog with different fleas. Tell me something I don’t know.
     A "flea" is a type of winged insect that live on dogs and cats.
     Gekko’s way of saying that this company has its own big problems.

Blue Star Airlines.  :: Rings a bell somewhere, so what?
     If something "rings a bell," it sounds familiar,
     but you can’t quite remember what it is.

It’s a comer...great slots in major cities.
     In this context, a "comer" is a slangy way of referring to a growing
     company with a good future. "Slots" are the gates that individual airlines
     have access to at airports.

They got a favorable ruling on a lawsuit.
Even the plaintiffs don’t know about it.
     A "favorable ruling" in a lawsuit means that a judge has agreed with
     your side. A "plaintiff" is a person who sues for damages in court.

The decision should clear the way for new planes and route contracts.
     If a legal decision "clears the way," it eliminates
     all the obstacles or road blocks to moving forward.

We got close to half a million shares in the bag. :: The Terminator!
     A "share" is a unit of stock, and in this case, if they are "in the bag,"
     they have just been bought. The Terminator is the character from the Arnold
     Schwarzenegger movie (To terminate something is to end it).

Blow them away, Ollie!
     In this case, to "blow away" somebody is to kill them.

I look at 100 deals a day. I close one.
     A "deal" is a business agreement, and to "close" a deal is to agree to  it.

We’re going over 5% in Teldar…and we don’t buy anything over 22.
     Gekko’s way of saying that he’s going to own over 5% of Teldar Paper
     Company, but all the stock he buys will be no more than $22 a share.


          Bud gets to trade for Gekko, and soon enters his world.


I’m in a bind here. I’ve got all those damn new
computers and young men are edging me out here.
     If a person is "in a bind," they are in a difficult situation. If you are
     "edged out" by another person, you are being beaten by them (To "have an edge"
     at a skill is to be just a little more talented than the other).

Did he see you? :: Yeah, he saw right through me.
     "To see through" a person is to see how they really
     are, and not how they want you to think they are.

Plenty of six-figure names in that zip code file to cold-call.
     A "six figure name" has an income of over $100,000 a year. A zip code file
     has people listed by their postal zip code (which helps mailmen deliver the mail).
     When a salesman "cold-calls" a potential client, they call without that client
     ever having been contacted before.

Got tickets to the Knicks game tonight.
Go out and cruise some chicks afterwards?
     The Knicks are the New York City basketball team. "To cruise chicks"
     is a very slangy and ridiculous way of saying to try and meet girls.

It’s going to be awesome. What do you say?
     A wonderful adjective meaning excellent, fantastic, great, etc.

Come on, forget charts.
     Here, "come on" means "be reasonable," but depending on the context, it can
     mean everything from hurry up to stop. In this case, "financial charts" are
     sheets of paper with lots of graphs and other important information.

We’re not fund managers! Churn them and burn them!
     A "mutual fund" is an investment which owns many separate company stocks, which
     helps individual investors diversify. "To churn" something is to move it around
     violently, so this is Marv’s way of saying he wants to buy and sell stocks quickly.

Lou Mannheim. Nice guy, swell fella, but he’s a loser. He lost all
his equity when the firm went belly up in the recession of ’71.
     "Swell" is a somewhat dated adjective meaning nice or admirable, and a "fella"
     is a guy. "Equity" is the value of real estate or stock that a person owns, and
     when a business firm goes "belly up," it goes bankrupt and closes down. A "recession"
     is a bad economic down turn.

I want you to buy 20,000 shares  of Blue Star at 15 1/8th, 3/8th tops,
and don’t screw it up, Sport. Think you can handle that?
     "3/8th tops" is Gekko’s way of saying he won’t pay more than 15 and 3/8th per
     share of Blue Star stock. "To screw up" something is to do it badly. In this case,
     to be able to "handle" something is to be able to do it.

Blue Star Exonerated in 1984 Crash [Headline].
     If a person or company is "exonerated" of a crime,
     they are found not guilty of having committed it.

My kid Rudy. He’s three years old…he’s an electronics freak.
     If a person is an "electronics freak," they love electronic
     devices such as computers, wireless phones, TVs, etc.

Telstar is shooting up. Did you buy any for yourself? 
:: No Sir, that wouldn’t have been legal.
     If a company stock is "shooting up," it is quickly rising in value.
     Note that Bud is still worried about using inside information.

Relax Pal, no one is going to blow the whistle on you.
     "To blow the whistle" on a person is to go to the police or other
     authorities and report that they have been involved in a crime.

Use a stop-loss so your down side is $100,000, and buy a decent suit.
     A "stop-loss" is a computer program that automatically sells a stock when it
     falls to a certain level. The "down side" risk of an investment is the amount
     that could be lost. A "decent" suit is socially acceptable.

And save the cheap salesmen talk, will ya? It’s obvious.
     A reference to the fact that Bud always appears like he is trying
     to sell something, even when he is pretending that he is not.

Nothing ruins my day more than losses. Now you
do good, and you get perks. Lots and lots of perks.
     "To ruin" something is to destroy it. In this case, "losses" refers to
     financial losses. "Perks" are additional benefits that employees get
     beyond their usual salary, such as a company car or vacations.

Maybe we could just drive around for a while. Work up an appetite.
     "To drive around" is to drive with no particular pace
     to go. "To work up an appetite" is to become hungry.

This guy who should know tells me to buy
Hewlett Packard, but I’ve been burned on tips.
     If you get "burned on tips" you lose money by
     following the advice or suggestion of another person.

Average yield, rising profits, strong balance sheets.
     The "yield" is the rate of return, or interest, on an investment.
     A "balance sheet" is a list of all the assets and debts that a company has.

We sure went down the toilet on that ugly bitch.
     If a stock goes down the toilet, it loses most of its value. This is
     Gekko’s vulgar and silly way of referring to the Teldar stock.

Not bad for a city college boy.
     A local school for adults, often called a community college.

I bought my way in, and now all those Ivy
League schmucks are sucking my knee caps.
     "Ivy League" schools are the best universities on the East coast, and include
     such famous institutions as Harvard and Yale (Ivy is a green plant that grows
     on the walls of many of these schools’ buildings). "Schmuck" is an excellent
     Jewish word for a jerk, idiot, ass, etc.

I just got on the board of the Bronx zoo. It cost me a mil.
     The "board" of a corporation or other institution is the group that meets
     every few months to set general policies. The Bronx is one of the five boroughs
     (sections) of New York city. A "mil" is a million dollars.

The thing you got to remember about WASPs,
they love animals and they can’t stand people.
     WASPs are White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, or generally speaking, white
     Americans of Western European origin. If you "can’t stand" something,
     you hate or detest it. Very common and useful.

The most valuable commodity I know of is information.
     A commodity is a product of trade or commerce, especially
     basic materials like wood or rubber, or crops such as wheat.

The public is out there throwing darts at a board, Sport.
     "Darts" are small sharp pointed objects that are thrown at boards as
     a game. This is Gekko’s way of saying people don’t know how to invest.

You wonder why fund managers can’t beat the S&P 500?
     The S&P 500 refers to the 500 largest companies in the stock market.
     It is known that most mutual funds are not as good an investment
     as investing money in a mutual fund that invests in all the S&P 500.

These Harvard MBA types don’t add up to dog shit.
     An MBA is a Masters in Business Administration. This is Gekko’s way of
     saying even the most educated business people do not know how to invest well.

It’s trench warfare out there, pal.
     This is the type of horribly violent warfare in which armies face each
     other while shooting from trenches, which are long ditches dug in the ground.
     For Gekko, the buying and selling of companies is as bloody.

I’ll go the extra mile. Just one more chance, Mr. Gekko.
     "To go the extra mile" for a person is to do
     everything you absolutely can to help them.

You want another chance? :: Fucking A!
     A rather strange and certainly vulgar expression which means Yes.

Like all Brits, he thinks he was born with a better pot to piss in.
     A "Brit" is a British person, and "to piss" is to urinate or go
     to the bathroom. Gekko thinks British people are snobby or arrogant.

He bribed an old secretary of mine to open her mouth
and stole RDR Pharmaceuticals right from under me.
     "To bribe" a person is to offer them money to do something that is
     illegal or immoral. "To steal a company right from under" a person is
     to seize or take it quickly. A "pharmaceutical" company makes drugs.

Payback time, Sport. 
     A colloquial way of saying that it is time to get revenge
     on somebody who has done something bad to you.

Anyway, I had a mole in Wildman’s operation.
     In this case, a "mole" is a spy, and Wildman’s "operation"
     is his business offices, where business deals are decided on.

Wildman is in town. Something big is going down.
     A very slangy way of saying something important is going to happen.

If the SEC found out, I could go to jail.  That’s inside information, isn’t it?
     The SEC is the Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates the
     sale of stocks. "Inside information" is a key legal term which refers to
     information that is not allowed to be passed on by company executives or
     employees to others, since it could effect stock prices.

Unless your father is on the board of directors of another company,
you and I are going to have a very tough time doing business together.
     The "Board of Directors" of a company sets general policies for that
     company. If you have a "tough time" doing something, it is hard to do.

I’m not talking about some $400,000 a year
working Wall Street stiff flying first class.
     A "working stiff" is a slang term for a middle class guy who works
     hard to survive. For Gekko, $400,000 a year (in 1985!) was a small salary!

I’m talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your
own jet. $100,000,000 dollars. A player...or nothing.
     In this context, if a person is "liquid," they have so much money they
     can effect the future of entire companies. "A player" is that wealthy.

You had what it took to get into my office; The
question is if you have what it takes to stay there.
     If a person "has what it takes" to do something, they have the
     skill and determination to do it, even if it is extremely difficult.


                 Bud begins to spy for Gekko, meets Darien at a party,
         and sees Gekko and Larry in a classic corporate raider’s battle.


He had lunch at Les Circus with a group
of well dressed heavy set bean counters.
     If a person is "heavy set," they are physically big. A "bean counter" is a
     slang term for an accountant, or a person who counts profits and losses.

He later stopped off at Morgan, and from all the palm pressing
going on, I’d say Larry got himself some nice fat financing.
     "Morgan Stanley" is a very big investment bank. "Palm pressing" is
     a silly way of referring to a handshake, and some nice "fat financing"
     is Bud’s way of referring to a large amount of investment money.

Bright, but not bright enough, Sherlock.
Let’s roll the dice and play a little monopoly.
     "Bright" is a common way of saying intelligent. "Sherlock" is a reference
     to Sherlock Holms, the fictional but very smart private detective. "Monopoly"
     is a famous board game in which players land on individual squares in hopes
     of buying the real estate they represent.

What box will land in Eerie, Pennsylvania?
     An industrial town in Western Pennsylvania where Anacott Steel
     is located, which is the company that Wildman wants to buy.

Call the Wall Street Chronicle, extension 1605, and you tell
the man "Blue Horseshoe loves Anacott Steal." You got that?
     An "extension number" is the one that links you to the phone of a
     particular person within a company, after you reach the company itself.
     "You got that?" is a common way of asking "Do you understand?"

Start buying Anacott Steal across the boards.
Use the off-shore accounts and keep it quiet.
     In this case, to buy something "across the boards" is to buy it using
     many different accounts. An "off-shore" account is one that is located
     outside the US, often in small island-nations like the Cayman Islands.

Lou, I got a sure thing. :: No sure thing, except death and taxes.
     In this context, "a sure thing" is a stock that is guaranteed to go up.

There are no short-cuts. Quick-buck artists come and go with every
bull market, but the steady players make it through the bear markets.
     A "short-cut" is a faster way of doing something. "Quick-buck artists" are
     suspicious people who try to make a lot of money very fast, often by cheating
     others. "Steady players make it through the bear markets" is Lou’s way of saying
     calm and disciplined investors survive well even if the stock market drops for
     an extended period of time.

You got to get to the big time first, and then
you can be a pillar and do good things.
     "The big time" is Bud’s way of referring to a situation where you make huge
     amounts of money. A "pillar" is a physical foundation for a building, or here,
     a reference to being a "pillar of the community."

I know this 18 year old bimbette that’s just gorgeous.
     A "bimbette" is a silly version of "bimbo," which is a funny slang word for a
     stupid or uneducated but often pretty girl. "Gorgeous" is another word for beautiful.

Take it and bid it. Make the tape. Bet the ranch. Buy 100,000 shares.
     These are all ways of saying to buy stock. "To bet the ranch" also
     means to risk everything on one decision or investment.

First lesson in business. Don’t get emotional about stock; It clouds the judgement.
     If something "clouds your judgement" it is difficult to think rationally or clearly.

He doesn’t talk back, doesn’t steal the silverware,
and Dick here is going to get me an exemption.
     If a person "talks back," they defiantly or impolitely respond to a person,
     often by interrupting in anger. A "tax exemption" is a term in accounting which
     allows a person to buy something and then claim it is a business expense, so that
     they can pay less total tax.

Stick around; This could be fun.
     A very common way of saying "stay here."

Oh, how ghastly! You should see her.
     A powerful adjective which means horrible, sickening or  shocking.

A few thousand dollars down the tubes, if you ask me.
     If money goes "down the tubes," it is wasted or lost.

I guess you could kiss your career as an art appraiser goodbye.
     "To kiss something goodbye" is a slangy way of saying to lose it (or here,
     to not be able to ever get it). An "art appraiser" is a person who judges
     the value of paintings and other types of art.

It’s nice if you’re on mushrooms.
     A reference to hallucinogenic mushrooms, which are
     (illegal) drugs that make people hallucinate, or see illusions.

He really took a bath on this.  :: I’d say Gordon
is one of the most astute collectors around.
     "To take a bath" on an investment is to lose a lot of money on it.
     If a person is "astute," they’re very smart and easily notice small details.

I’m sure you could do wonders with my place.
     If an interior decorator can "do wonders" with an
     apartment, they can greatly improve how it looks.

I’ll be moving to the East Side soon. A couple of deals brewing with Gordon.
     The Upper East Side is the New York neighborhood East of Central Park and on
     the other side of the park from the Upper West Side. If a business deal is "brewing,"
     it is in the process of being made.

What if I have a previous engagement? :: You break it.
     An "engagement" is another word for a meeting or social
     obligation. "To break" an engagement is to cancel it.

No, this time I’m in for the long term. It’s not a liquidation.
      To be "in for the long term" means to be involved for a long
     period of time. A company "liquidation" is the act of selling
     all of its property and then shutting it down.

I’m going to turn it around. You’re getting a free ride on my tail.
     This is Larry’s way of complaining that Gekko is able to make lots of money without
     risk, by buying the stock of a company that Gekko knows Larry wants to buy.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but you acquired CJE
electronics, and you laid off, what, 6,000 workers.
     "To lay off" workers is to fire them. This is Gekko’s way of saying that
     Larry does not have a history of being a good guy, but in fact buys and
     liquidates companies  just like Gekko.

I could dump the stock just to burn your ass, but I happen to want the company.
     Larry’s way of saying he could sell all his shares in the company, and thus drive
     down the price of the stock, which means Gekko himself would lose lots of money.

And I want your block of shares. I’m
announcing a tender offer at 65 tomorrow.
     A common term in business in which one buyer offers to buy
     all the stock in a company (Here, at $65 dollars a share).

Showdowns bore me, Larry, nobody wins. You can have the company.
     A "showdown" is a major battle between two great enemies.

It’s going to be fun watching you and your
giant ego try to make a horse race of it.
     A person’s "ego" is the psychological confidence that they have
     in themselves. "To make a horse race" of a difficult situation
     is to do your best to try and succeed.

You’re a two-bit pirate and green mailer. Nothing more.
     "Two pit" is a negative word which means very poor, bad or pitiful.
     A "pirate" is man who sails the seas, stopping and robbing other ships.
     A "green mailer" is a person who buys weak companies, often in order to break
     them up, sell off their assets (property) and destroy them.

Not only would you sell your mother to make a deal, you’d send her C.O.D.
     Cash on Demand. A product sent COD must be paid for by the receiver.

I had to sell. The key to the game is capital reserves, and if
you don’t have enough, you can’t piss with the big boys.
     "Capital reserves" is the amount of money that a person or company has
     which is ready to use for a potential purchase. This is Gekko’s way of
     saying he didn’t have enough money to compete with Larry.

All warfare is based on deception. Sun Tzu.
     "Deception" is the act of fooling a person into believing something
     is true which is not. Tzu was a famous Chinese philosopher.

If your enemy is superior, evade him, if angry, irritate him,
if equally matched, fight, and if not, split and reevaluate.
     "To evade" a person is to avoid or hide from them, and "to irritate" a
     person is to greatly bother or annoy them. "To split" is a very slangy way
     of saying to leave.

I want to be surprised. Astonish me, pal. New info.
I don’t care where or how you get it, just get it.
     "To astonish" a person is to greatly surprise them.
     "Info" is a very common way of meaning information.


                As the money grows bigger, Ben increases
          the risks in his search for corporate information.


My wife tells me you made a move on Derrian.
     "To make a move" on a woman is to try and attract or
     seduce her, so that she will go out with you later.

Here’s some inside info for you. The Euroflash GQ type she’s
going out with has big bucks, but he’s putting her feet to sleep.
     A "Euroflash GQ type" is Gekko’s way of referring to a rich man who dresses well
     (GQ is a fashion magazine). If a person "has big bucks," they are wealthy. Gekko
     is telling Buddy that this guy is boring to Darien, but "putting her feet to sleep"
     is never used.

This is your wake-up call, pal. Go to work.
     In this context, a "wake-up call" is a dramatic notice or announcement that makes
     a person act in some way which will hopefully change their life for the better.

What is this, déjà vu?  What has it been, a year and a half?
     A widely used French term which means "already seen," and thus it
     is used in those situations where you feel that in some strange way you’ve
     already experienced a situation before.

Still seeing that sexy French chick?  :: No, she asked me the wrong question.
     "Chick" is a common but silly slang word for a young woman
     (The "wrong question" was probably a marriage proposal).

The hours are hell, but the cash is starting to tumble in.
     This is Bud’s way of saying he works extremely long hours, but he is
     starting to make a lot of money ("To tumble" is to roll down, usually
     in a quick and disorderly manner).

I know a guy who has an ironclad way of
making money. I can’t lose and I can’t get hurt.
     If something is "ironclad," it is absolutely secure or guaranteed.

I heard you guys are handling the Fairchild
Foods merger and it may not be going through.
     If a law firm "handles" a business deal, they work on all the legal documents
     for it. A "merger" between two companies is when they join to become one. If a
     deal "goes through," it actually takes place.

Come on, Buddy, that’s illegal. You wouldn’t want me to get disbarred.
     If a lawyer is "disbarred," they are no longer allowed to practice law
     (The "Bar exam" is the test that every lawyer must pass to practice).

Who is listening? Just one college buddy talking to another.
     "Buddy" is another word for friend (as well as Bud’s nick name).

If you don’t know, you don’t know. :: If I did, what’s in it for moi?
     "What’s in it for me?" is another way of asking "What do I get?"
     "Moi" is a French word that means me, but this is never used.

Get inside of my uncle’s doors, and all the secrets of
the world are yours. The lifeblood of companies...
     The "lifeblood" of a company is the client lists, computer files and other
     information that it needs to run efficiently. Such information usually shows
     the company’s true value (which is why Bud wants it).

I could use a tax break. What would you say to
some working capital and a working partner?
     A "tax break" is an expense that a person can use to show he made
     less money, and thus pay less tax. "Working capital" is money that
     is used to start or expand a business.

I’m an expert at identifying undervalued assets, such as this business.
     An "undervalued asset" is a piece of property, real estate or a company
     itself that is worth more than the current market seems to suggest it is.

You got to be kidding. The quarterlies are for shit.
     If a person is "kidding," they are joking around or not being serious.
     "Quarterly reports" are financial documents which show how much a company
     has made or lost in the last three months. This is Gekko’s way of saying
     this company is not a good investment.

I’d like to produce a line of high quality antiques
at a low price. :: Sounds great; I’ll take you public.
     A "line" of some product is a variety of them. "Antiques" are old pieces
     of valuable furniture. If an investment bank "takes a company public," they
     arrange for the company to sell stock in the stock market.

Hey, it’s the bozos who keep us in the air.
     A "bozo" is a clown or perhaps stupid or silly person.

Who peed in your Cheerios? :: The god damn fare wars are killing us.
     "To pee" is to urinate, and Cheerios is a well known breakfast cereal, and thus
     this is Bud’s colorful way of asking his dad why he is in such a bad mood. "Fare wars"
     are periods of intense competition between the airlines in which they are forced to
     lower prices to keep customers.

How do yo