Me. Given an ounce of encouragement.

[VicNicSor]

Bond comes to see his boss, and while his secretary informs him of Bond's coming, hugs her from behind while disarranging some papers on the desk. She annoyingly slaps on his hand.
Bond: Moneypenny! [taking her by the hand] What gives?
Moneypenny: Me. Given an ounce of encouragement.
Dr. No, film

Could you explain to me the bolded part? What is "me"? The object of the subject of "gives"? And what does the whole phrase mean?
Thanks.

 

[Glasguensis]

Me is Moneypenny. The question “what gives” means “what’s new”;”how are things”. She is answering literally that she gives, if she has a minimum of encouragement. What she gives is not stated : you have to make your own mind up based on watching the movie, like us native speakers.

 

[london calling]

'Me' is Moneypenny. She's flirting with Bond. He asks "What gives?" (What's new?) and she anwers literally: if ever so slightly encouraged she would be 'his'....

 

[dojibear]

If his "what gives?" is said in response to a slap, it means "what is wrong? what is the problem?" If it isn't a response, it means what post #2 suggests.

As post #2 says, she makes a pun by changing the meaning. I think the bold means "I give...if you encourage me a litittle bit".

And I think "give" means "have sex with you". It isn't common to use "give" with that meaning, but it makes sense. It is a joke. It is unclear how serious she is, but it is a repeated theme in the James Bond movies: Miss Moneypenny desires James Bond.

 

[VicNicSor]

Thank you everybody!

 

[kentix]

From Dojibear's comment:

If his "what gives?" is said in response to a slap, it means "what is wrong? what is the problem?"


As post #2 says, she makes a pun by changing the meaning. I think the bold means "I give...if you encourage me a litittle bit".


And I think "give" means "have sex with you".

Although that's the meaning I would translate it into '60s terminology and say it means she would "put out".

It isn't common to use "give" with that meaning, but it makes sense. It is a joke. It is unclear how serious she is, but it is a repeated theme in the James Bond movies:


Miss Moneypenny desires James Bond.
At least theoretically. But I don't think she wants to be just another fling. She would consider that a step down.

Basically, the whole reason his character says "What gives?" is to set up the pun/joke.

 

[VicNicSor]

Thank you!

 

[london calling]

It's all based on a double entendre (double meaning). This flirting is a theme which runs through all the Bond films.

 

[SevenDays]

Bond comes to see his boss, and while his secretary informs him of Bond's coming, hugs her from behind while disarranging some papers on the desk. She annoyingly slaps on his hand.
Bond: Moneypenny! [taking her by the hand] What gives?
Moneypenny: Me. Given an ounce of encouragement.
Dr. No, film

Could you explain to me the bolded part? What is "me"? The object of the subject of "gives"? And what does the whole phrase mean?
Thanks.

Me is not an object. Me is the pronoun that's commonly used when a clause as no finite verb, or no verb at all. So, instead of saying "I give" (with a finite verb), Moneypenny goes with "Me," which is self-referential. That's where syntax stops; beyond that, there's double meaning, flirting, play on words, as already noted.