TV Shows: Suits

 
Hi guys!

For Legal English lessons please go to idiglegalenglish.blogspot.com

If you are on the lookout for a cool TV show to watch, then you should definitely check out Suits, an American legal TV series that runs on USA Network. (In Poland it is available to Cyfra + subscribers under the title: W garniturach. Its first episode aired in June 2011 and since then the show has attracted quite a following, me included :)

to be on the lookout for – poszukiwać czegoś (to be looking for something, to be in search of)

to run – lecieć, być emitowanym (to continue to be broadcast)

to air – być emitowanym (to be broadcast)

a following – grupa fanów (a group of fans, fanbase)

The storyline revolves around a New York law firm and particularly its senior partner, a high-flyer in the cutthroat world of law, Harvey Specter, (Gabriel Macht) and his young associate, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams). Despite the over 40 minute episodes, the series feels dynamic and fresh. It’s witty and intelligent and it pulls you in right away. To me it combines the best of House M.D. (the jargon, here: legalese), Gossip Girl (the intrigue) and How I Met Your Mother (the funny banter and … suits, duh). Definitely worth watching!

the storyline/ story line – fabuła (the plot, the series of events)

to revolve around – obracać się wokół (to centre around)

a law firm – kancelaria prawna

a high-flyer/ high-flier – osoba zdolna i ambitna (someone who has a lot of ability and a strong wish to be successful and is therefore expected to achieve a lot)

cutthroat – bezwzględny (not involving considering or worrying about any harm caused to others;  fierce)

an associate – współpracownik (an employee of a law firm with the prospect of becoming a partner)

to pull somebody in – wciągać (to make you want to know what happens next)

legalese – żargon prawniczy (language used by lawyers and in legal documents)

banter – przekomarzanie się (conversation which is funny and not serious)

duh – ba (Isn’t that obvious?)

He is a guy who’s always thinking ten steps ahead. He’s very confident. He’s got a lot of swagger and a lot of ease. 

 (Gabriel Macht about his character)

Harvey Specter is someone you want on your side when in a courtroom. He is successful, determined, self-confident, respected and, on top of that, handsome. He is a guy whom you never see sweat under pressure. He takes Mike under his wing and mentors him, giving him a lot of tough love along the way. He has a thing for collector’s items, withholds his advice to Mike till the last minute and is known for settling his cases out of court.

swagger – tu: pewność siebie (confidence, coolness, style)

ease – swoboda, luz (when you experience no difficulty, effort, pain or worry)

a courtroom – sala sądowa (the place where a judge, lawyers and parties to a dispute meet)

on top of that – w dodatku (additionally)

to sweat under pressure – pocić się nerwowo, pod presją (to be so nervous that you become wet under your arms or on your forehead)

tough love – wychowanie oparte na byciu stanowczym i wymagającym zamiast pobłażliwym (when people intentionally do not show too much kindness to a person who has a problem so that the person will start to solve their own problem)

a collector’s item – rzadki okaz  (something rare and interesting to people who collect similar things)

to withhold – wstrzymywać (to refuse to give something or to keep back something)

to settle a case out of court – doprowadzić do ugody pozasądowej (to resolve a dispute before the judge in a court of law does it)

Mike Ross is an unmotivated sort of stoner essentially, who just happens to be brilliant. 

 (Patrick J. Adams about his character)

Mike Ross is a college dropout with a photographic memory. He can not only recite legal handbooks, but his mind also allows him to get out of some tight spots – a perfect combination of book smarts and street smarts, really. He charms with a good-hearted nature and occasional awkwardness caused by being a true rookie in the world of successful grown-ups. He’s also a bit of a looker and you don’t really care that he cycles to work ;) Just kidding. Everyone cares about that :D

a stoner – amator marichuany (someone who smokes pot a lot)

essentially – zasadniczo (basically)

a dropout – osoba, która nie ukończyła szkoły/studiów (a person who leaves school, college or university before finishing a course)

to be in a tight spot – być w opałach, tarapatach (to be in trouble, in a difficult situation)

book smarts – wiedza (the ability to succeed scholastically, and not necessarily in the real world)

street smarts – spryt (the ability to manage or succeed in difficult or dangerous situations, especially in big towns or cities)

awkwardness – niezdarność, niezgrabność (not knowing how to act to what to say in different situations)

a rookie – nowicjusz (a beginner, someone new to something)

 a grown-up – dorosły (an adult)

the show's theme song

Have a great weekend!

Karola