The Eight Year Old: Mummy, what is a quote?
Me: Well, it is when you quote something that someone says.
The Eight Year Old: (*With befuddled look on face*) Huh?!
Me: (Thinking hard here!) Well, it is when someone says something and you like the sound of what they say.
The Eight Year Old: So
Me: Ummmmm....if you like the exact words that they use and you tell them to someone else then you are quoting the first person's words. You are kinda repeating the exact words that they said.
The Eight Year Old: Ohhhhhhh. So there are two types of quotes then?
Me: (Oh God, why are we put on the spot like this?) Noooooo, I don't think so! Oh....I guess that you could say that you will quote someone's words or that this is a quote if you point to words that belong to someone else (Someone pass me a shovel please so I can dig a bigger hole).
The Eight Year Old: No! Not that type of quote, the other type.
Me: I don't think there is any other type of quote.
The Eight Year Old: Yes, you know. The type that you put on a bed!
Me: Honey, I think you might mean a 'quilt'.
Ahhhhhh parental enlightenment! It works out every time!!!!!!
