50 Important Quotes You Should Pay Attention to in Billy Elliot

Download our list of Billy Elliot quotes here!

#11: Well, there’s no mines in London — Christ. Is that all you think about?

• Characters: Tony Elliot (Speaker), Jackie Elliot, Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Rhetorical question, symbolism, characterisation  

#12: I got in… Strike’s over, Jackie. The union caved in yesterday.

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker), Jackie Elliot
• Techniques: Contrast, ambiguity, metaphor 

#13: Well, if I don’t like it, can I still come back?…Are you kidding? We’ve let out your room.

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker) , Jackie Elliot (Speaker)
• Techniques: Humour, rhetorical question, anticlimax

#14: There’s no money left. Get that through your head, man!

• Characters: Jackie Elliot (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Exclamation, suspense

Gender Expectations

#15: What are you doing man? This is hand to hand combat, not a bloody tea dance!

• Characters: Coach (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Juxtaposition, characterisation, symbolism 

#16: You look like a right w**ker to me, son.

• Characters: Piano Man (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Slang, connotations, irony

#17: It’s a load of sh**e, kicking people in. 

• Characters: Michael (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Metaphor, symbolism, idiom

#18: I think you’d look wicked. 

• Characters: Michael (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Contrast, colloquial language 

#19: Ballet is for girls, not lads, lads do boxing, football or wrestling, not friggin’ ballet

• Characters: Jackie Elliot (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Tricolon, antanaclasis 

#20: It’s not just poofs, Dad. Some ballet dancers are as fit as athletes.

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker)
• Techniques: Juxtaposition, simile 

#21: I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Billy for months. I was gonna say something, but I thought it might be embarrassing. 

• Characters: Coach (Speaker), Jackie Elliot
• Techniques: Connotations, idiom, consonance

#22: My dad’ll kill me if he knows I’m here.

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker), Sandra Wilkinson
• Techniques: Hyperbole, suspense

#23: I’m not having my brother running around like a right twat for your gratification.

• Characters: Tony Elliot, (Speaker), Sandra Wilkinson, Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Colloquial language, simile 

#24: I’ll miss you! – What? I can’t hear you!

• Characters: Tony Elliot (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Symbolism, contrast, exclamation, catharsis  

#25: What the bloody hell are you doing here? – I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

• Characters: Jackie Elliot (Speaker), Michael (Speaker)
• Techniques: Hyperbole, idiom, symbolism

Identity and Acceptance

#26: You’re a disgrace to them gloves, your father and the tradition of this boxing hall.

• Characters: Coach (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Tricolon, metaphor

#27: I hate you! You’re a b*st*rd!

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker) , Jackie Elliot
• Techniques: Exclamation, plain language

#28: Your family’s weird. – No, they’re not. They are though. They’re mental.

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker), Debbie (Speaker) 
• Techniques: Juxtaposition, connotations, parallel structure

#29: I’ve heard a lot about you. Durham’s little Gene Kelly, eh?

• Characters: Mr. Wilkinson (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Cultural allusion, characterisation

#30: Listen, have you noticed anything weird about our Billy lately?

• Characters: Jackie Elliot (Speaker), Tony Elliot
• Techniques: First-person plural, connotations

#31: You don’t even have a proper dancing school. You’re stuck in some crummy boxing hall! Don’t pick on me because you f***ed up your own life!

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker), Sandra Wilkinson
• Techniques: Exclamation, metaphor, tricolon

#32: You’re the same as everyone else. You just want to tell me what to do.

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker), Sandra Wilkinson
• Techniques: Simile, symbolism

#33: I don’t want to do your stupid, f***ing audition. You only want me to do it for your own benefit!

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker), Sandra Wilkinson
• Techniques: Repetition

#34: I know this might be hard for you but today Billy missed a very important audition… For the Royal Ballet School.

• Characters: Sandra Wilkinson (Speaker), Tony Elliot, Jackie Elliot, Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Symbolism, contrast, juxtaposition 

#35: You won’t tell anyone, will you?

• Characters: Michael (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Repetition, urgent tone

#36: Just because I like ballet doesn’t mean I’m a poof, you know?

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker), Michael
• Techniques: Slang, juxtaposition

#37: Oi, dancing boy!

• Characters: Michael (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Characterisation, motif

The Power of Art

#38: I’m just there flying… like a bird. Like electricity.

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker)
• Techniques: Simile, connotations, metaphor

#39: I’m going to let Mrs. Wilkinson use the bottom end of the boxing hall for her ballet lessons. So no hanky-panky, understood?

• Characters: Coach (Speaker)
• Techniques: Symbolism, slang

#40: What have we got here, then? Heel out. Drop your hip. Nice… straight leg. Good arch. Turn that leg out.

• Characters: Sandra Wilkinson (Speaker)
• Techniques: Parataxis, listing, jargon

#41: I don’t want one [a childhood]. I wanna be a ballet dancer.

• Characters: Billy Elliot (Speaker)
• Techniques: Juxtaposition

#42: No, she’s unfulfilled. That’s why she dances. – She does dancing instead of sex?

• Characters: Debbie (Speaker), Billy Elliot, Sandra Wilkinson
• Techniques: Humour, subversion, irony

#43: [Billy finally manages to perform a pirouette] What have I told you about that arm?

• Characters: Sandra Wilkinson (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Contrast, humour, rhetorical question

#44: They’ll teach you. That’s why they’re a ballet school.

• Characters: Sandra Wilkinson (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Calming tone, irony 

#45: I’m not doing it for the money, Billy.

• Characters: Sandra Wilkinson (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Symbolism

#46: Come on. It’s time to go. It’s [Swan Lake] only a ghost story.

• Characters: Sandra Wilkinson (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Cultural allusion, symbolism

#47: They used to say I could’ve been a professional dancer, with some training.

• Characters: Grandma (Speaker), Tony Elliot
• Techniques: Metaphor, symbolism

#48: He might be a f***ing genius, for all we know.

• Characters: Tony Elliot (Speaker), Jackie Elliot, Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Superlative, characterisation

#49: You do realize that all pupils must attain the highest standards, not just in ballet but in their ordinary academic work?

• Characters: Examiner (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Rhetorical question, condescending tone

#50: This is when you go out and find life and all those other things…Right. Back to the bar, girls. And again.

• Characters: Sandra Wilkinson (Speaker), Billy Elliot
• Techniques: Contrast, tone, symbolism