Respect your elders. I mean, your elderly.
Hello.
In Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (2020), detective Montoya was in the hot pursuit of Harley Quinn but failed to apprehend her, so she returns to her precinct
Reception desk officer Simpson welcomes her: Jeez, Montoya, you smell like a dead rat's asshole.
Montoya: Not today, Simpson.
Some officer standing next to Simpson: Hey, it's Detective Montoya. Respect your elders. I mean, your elderly. (He laughs)
Montoya: You're only a few years younger than me, and you're still behind that desk. You want to go there?

I don't get the officer's joke. What/who does he mean by "the elderly"? Could you explain it, please?

Thank you.

Question

Respect your elders. I mean, your elderly.
Hello. 
In Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (2020), detective Montoya was in the hot pursuit of Harley Quinn but failed to apprehend her, so she returns to her precinct 
Reception desk officer Simpson welcomes her: Jeez, Montoya, you smell like a dead rat's asshole.
Montoya: Not today, Simpson.
Some officer standing next to Simpson: Hey, it's Detective Montoya. Respect your elders. I mean, your elderly. (He laughs)
Montoya: You're only a few years younger than me, and you're still behind that desk. You want to go there?

I don't get the officer's joke. What/who does he mean by "the elderly"? Could you explain it, please?

Thank you.

Answer

"Respect your elders" is a set phrase, meaning to respect someone older than you. It can refer to any age, from 30 to 100. 
"Elderly" refers to people of an advanced age, and implies weakness, inability, diminished mental capacity, etc. The elderly are people that may need help in their daily lives. "The elderly are especially susceptible to the virus." "Many elderly are not able to cook for themselves."
Montoya was called elderly as an insult, meaning that she was too old to do her job.

คำตอบ · 1

ยังไม่พบคำตอบของคุณใช่ไหม

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!