s01e01 Ross: Talk about your.. big lizards

 

What big lizards does Ross talk about?

Rachel visibly gets upset when Ross reminds her about Aruba honeymoon she has to pass on. Ross panics and offers the first reason to hate Aruba, that comes to his mind:

Ross: Although, Aruba. This time of year? Talk about your... big lizards... 

What big lizards does Ross talk about? Is fall a big lizard season in Aruba? And why does Rachel look so puzzled at the end of Ross’s rumbling?

What big lizards does Ross talk about? Is fall a big lizard season in Aruba? And why does Rachel look so puzzled at the end of Ross’s rumbling?

My name is Katia and this is Grab a Spoon. Here we overthink the world of FRIENDS, one joke at a time.

Let’s get clear with the seasons in Aruba. This island has none. It is a beautiful beach-weather all year round. Now I as well as native speaker can appreciate how much Ross is into Rachel already. Ross is so smitten with this girl, he completely forgets the seasons play no role in Aruba. 

But my biggest confusion about Aruba-joke was with the form of phrase itself. I just couldn’t understand why is Ross inviting Rachel to talk about some big lizards? Is it related to Ross’s work with big lizards, the dinosaurs? But we don’t learn that Ross is a paleontologist until the second episode of the first season. I was completely lost.

The answer is that «talk about your ANYTHING» is an idiom. People use it when they want both to complain about something and feel emotionally connected to someone.

Example. Imagine you and your friend are in a restaurant. It has been two hours since you ordered. And the food just isn’t coming. You may lean closer to your friend and say: «Talk about your bad service!» And you smirk at each other, and share a moment of mutual understanding. 

Now we know Ross isn’t offering big lizards as a random topic to distract Rachel with. Ross brings up big lizards as an attempt to undermine Aruba for Rachel.

But what big lizards does Ross talk about? Aruba as well as the area around it happens to be the home for lots of iguanas. They reach up to two meters in length. Big lizards indeed! Despite the size, and the dinosaur-like look, they seem to bring a lovely experience to tourists of Aruba. 

This one was tricky! But now I know how to complain and look for connection. And if I ever happen to be in Aruba I will make sure to take some selfies with only dinosaurs alive.

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more videos about FRIENDS:

https://www.youtube.com/@grab-a-spoon-with-katia

Did I get this joke right? Share your takes in the comments! 

Katia