# Billy Elliot - possible spoilers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 13, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635 "2002-11-13T22:05:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/1 "2002-11-13T22:05:58Z")
Would anyone like to discuss this movie? ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/2 "2002-11-13T22:17:16Z")
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve seen it, but sure. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/3 "2002-11-13T22:40:06Z")
It’s currently showing on Showtime, and I hadn’t seen it before. I was amazed to discover that it was the director’s feature film debut. What stunning directing! Everything about it is first class — the acting, the photography, the editing, the screenplay. I love the film. Unfortunately, the accents are undecipherable in places, and I’d like to know what they’re saying. In case you know, please tell me:[ul][li]In the tunnel, what are Billy and Michael talking about?[/li][li]What does Billy’s brother say to him that night in the bedroom just before all the fund raising begins?[/li][li]And finally, what is a “puff” (“poof”?)? Is it a homosexual?[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/4 "2002-11-14T00:50:32Z")
A transcript of the movie is available [billyelliot.tv](http://www.billyelliot.tv/scriptframe.htm) for your perusal. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/5 "2002-11-14T01:02:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*Unfortunately, the accents are undecipherable in places, and I’d like to know what they’re saying. In case you know, please tell me:[ul][li]In the tunnel, what are Billy and Michael talking about?[/li][li]What does Billy’s brother say to him that night in the bedroom just before all the fund raising begins?[/li][li]And finally, what is a “puff” (“poof”?)? Is it a homosexual?[/li][/ul] \*\* I don’t know the film well enough to help on the first two, but you are correct on the third. ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/6 "2002-11-14T01:23:19Z")
The answers to your first two questions can be found in **don’t ask’s** link. For the third one: Yes, poof ( or more rarely poofter) is a ( male) homosexual. It is a farly mild word and is commonly used by gay men themselves. On the more general points, it was Stephen Daldry’s first film but he was already a celebrated theatre director before that. There’s a brief biog [here](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1216863.stm). While Daldry’s socialism certainly influences the movie, I don’t think it can be classed as simply a socialist film. Billy’s success is a triumph of individualism over local and class prejudices. I agree that the acting was excellent. I think Gary Bell ( Billy’s father) got an Oscar nomination. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/7 "2002-11-14T05:04:05Z")
I had to read **Libertarian** ’s second post several times before I realized that this thread wasn’t about _Billy MADISON_. I thought at first it was some bizarre sort of sarcasm. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/8 "2002-11-14T10:49:14Z")
Wow! Thanks for the answers about the poof. And thanks so much for the link to the screenplay. A couple more questions, please. What is an “owt”? And what is a “mam”? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/9 "2002-11-14T11:05:19Z")
Mam - mum - mother. Affectionate term. Owt - that’s trickier. Best to illustrate by example: “can’t do owt about that” - “can’t do anything about that”. I guess “owt” is often used for “anything” and “nowt” for “nothing” (“that’s nowt to do wi’ me”). ---
**Author:** ![bifar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bifar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bifar)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/10 "2002-11-14T11:06:49Z")
‘Owt’ is Northern-speak for ‘anything’, as in ‘have yer bought owt’? It’s similar to the old-fashioned ‘aught’. Similar story with ‘naught’ and ‘nowt’. And I imagine ‘mam’ is ‘mom’. Lib, have you ever seen ‘Kes’? It’s got a similar setting (and similarly indecipherable accents 😉 and story and is great. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/11 "2002-11-14T12:00:39Z")
No, I haven’t seen _Kes_. But I’ll watch for it, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/12 "2002-11-14T12:13:58Z")
Good movie! I love how they talk. I like how Billy’s dad says ballet as “bally.” Stephen Daldry’s next film is the upcoming **The Hours** with Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman. I can’t wait. ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/13 "2002-11-14T12:22:27Z")
I have remembered one other point where linguistic clarification might be helpful. In one scene the girl says to Billy “I’ll show you my fanny.” In British slang, “fanny” means vagina. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/billy-elliot-possible-spoilers/136635/14 "2002-11-14T12:34:14Z")
Damnation! 😃 My very favorite moment from the movie is Billy’s father’s face when he sees Billy leap onto the stage. Everything comes together — the acting, the directing, the score, the photography — at that moment. Oh, and incidentally, the movie has some of the best foley work I’ve ever seen.