I revive this stale post because I need help from the native English speakers here to understand a piece of dialogue between Lois and Clark.
The exchange is the famous one at Lois' doorway, at the end of the date. From the transcript:
Lois: No, I mean a _really_ nice time. Maybe the best time I ever had. It wasn't the funniest. Or the wildest. or the --
Clark: Don't knock yourself out, Lois.
I just can't get it: what are they meaning? Is she trying to downplay how well the date went? Is he ironic?
Lois is telling Clark(non-sarcastically) that she had the best time imaginable on their date (even though it wasn't the funniest or the wildest... it was still very, very good) and she's worried that it was the high point, that it can't get any better (hence the "I can never see you again" and the slamming of the door in his face).
Clark is worried that her words mean that she didn't have a good, that he was boring. What he means by "don't knock yourself out" (which, by the way, IS sarcastic)... in other words "don't compliment me *too* much". Although, he's teasing her because he knows that ISN'T what she means. He just wants her to realize that she's not picking her words carefully and it sounds as if she's insulting him. Perhaps a part of him says this because he IS worried that plain old Clark Kent is too boring compared to Superman.
Have I made it more clear, or just muddied the waters more?
