How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Quote #1
ELLIOTT: It was nothing like that, penis-breath!
Elliott's choice of insult speaks directly to his young age. (It's hard to imagine a frustrated businessman calling someone "penis breath" in a heated boardroom clash, for example). In fact, screenwriter Melissa Mathison told The New Yorker that she stole this line directly from a child she knew in her previous tenure as a babysitter, stepmom, and older sister.
Quote #2
MOM: If you ever see it again, whatever it is, don't touch it. Just call me, and we'll have somebody come and take it away.
GERTIE: Like the dogcatcher?
ELLIOTT: But they'll give it a lobotomy or do experiments on it or something.
Everybody's acting age-appropriately here, given the whole "alien in the backyard" thing. Mom's not thinking "alien" and just wants to keep her kids safe. Elliott's more concerned with E.T.'s wellbeing and has a vague notion of how a strange creature would be treated, probably informed by pop culture. Even Gertie has her own frame of reference.
Quote #3
ELLIOTT: And look, fish. The fish eat the fish food, and the shark eats the fish, and nobody eats the shark. See? This is Pez. Candy. See, you eat it. You put the candy in here, and then when you lift up the head, the candy comes out, and you can eat it. Want some? This is a peanut, you eat it, but you can't eat this one, 'cause this is fake. This is money. See? We put the money in the peanut. See? Bank. See?
When it comes to must-have knowledge about how things work here on Earth, the intricacies of Pez dispensers and peanut-shaped banks probably don't crack the Top 20, but Elliott's exuberant, rapid-fire explanation of his world—a.k.a. the stuff in his room—reflects his youth.