The action takes place in Moscow in 1976. Anatoly Yefremovich Novoseltsev, a clumsy single father of two sons, works at a statistical bureau. His boss is a strict single woman in her late 30s, Ludmila Prokofievna Kalugina, nicknamed "our wiktionary:en:frump" by her subordinates. He dreams about a Promotion (rank) and a Salary, but he is too timid to talk to his boss about it. His former classmate and old friend, Yuri Grigorievich Samokhvalov suggests appointing his old friend as a head of the light industry department, but Kalugina rejects the advice. Then, following Samokhvalov's advice, Novoseltsev unwillingly tries to flirt with "the Frump" at a party in Samokhvalov's apartment, but Kalugina gets very annoyed at his attempts to impress her. Eventually Novoseltsev becomes frustrated and tells Kalugina that he considers her "dry, inhuman and heartless".