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In The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), standing, Mark Hanna shouts in the middle of the office:

Mark Hanna: We don't start dialing at 9:30 because our clients are already answering the phone. Three. Two. One. Let's f*ck!

(Clock shows 9:30, Everybody in the office are suddenly busy with phones)

If Mark tells them not to dial at 9:30, why are they dialing at 9:30?

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    I don't see anything like this in the two copies of the script I looked at online. Where are you getting this dialog?
    – iandotkelly ♦
    Sep 25, 2020 at 16:34
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    Without re-watching it… you don't start dialling at 9.30 you finish dialling, so you're the first one through. Otherwise you're 10 digits behind the eager diallers.
    – Tetsujin
    Sep 25, 2020 at 16:35
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    @Tetsujin ... that seems like a decent enough answer to me.
    – iandotkelly ♦
    Sep 25, 2020 at 18:28
  • If you watch the clip, the emphasis is on the at 9:30.
    – BCdotWEB
    Sep 26, 2020 at 8:23

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He is not telling them not to dial at 9:30. He is reminding them that 9:30 is way too late to start dialing. The place emphasis on the word start. It is another way to say the early bird catches the worm. It is analogous to the saying that showing up on time is late. And, 15 minutes early is barely on time. In this case, ten key punches is too late.

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  • If you watch the clip, the emphasis is on the at 9:30.
    – BCdotWEB
    Sep 26, 2020 at 8:24
  • The emphasis in intonation is on at 9:30. The emphasis in meaning is on start. Answer is the same.
    – Dean F.
    Sep 26, 2020 at 15:08
  • More precisely, he's not telling to not dial until 9:30.
    – Acccumulation
    Sep 26, 2020 at 21:30

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