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Where did it originate??

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

The phrase Willy Nilly?

I use it quite a bit... I like it

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By *enuinetallstuMan
over a year ago

nr beauly

I like willy nilly too, he's a great bloke

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I don't know, but I feel sorry for Will because every body keep firing at him.

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By *issHottieBottieWoman
over a year ago

Kent

Apparently in early English Nil meant the opposite of will.

So where as will was wanting to do something, nil was not wanting to, so willy nilly meant not knowing one way or the other or haphazard x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"The phrase Willy Nilly?

I use it quite a bit... I like it "

Ask Stephen Fry.... Bet he'll know..... for a couple of reasons...

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By *Ryan-Man
over a year ago

In Your Bush

I am so glad you asked Although we more commonly use it nowadays to mean ‘haphazardly’, the origin centres around the first meaning. The early meaning of the word ‘nill’ was the opposite of ‘will’, as in ‘wanting to do something’. In other words, ‘nill’ meant ‘wanting to avoid doing something’. So, combining the two words – I am willing, I am unwilling – expresses the idea that it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Willy-nilly is actually a varition of "will he--nil he," which originally meant (and sometimes still means) regardless of whether or not a person consents to something. Now it is also used to mean something like "without control and heedless of the consequences." 

Silly-willy is an example of "reduplication." The last three sounds in "silly" are repeated as a way of emphasizing the silliness and creating a sillier-sounding word. Something that's silly-willy is even sillier than something that's merely silly. 

We have other examples of reduplication in words like fuzzy-wuzzy, artsy-fartsy, and bling-bling.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I like willy nilly too, he's a great bloke "

Just that other bloke, Bill Stickers. Why anyone should be so intent on prosecuting him all the time (Bill Stickers will be prosecuted) is beyond me..... ???

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

How sensible you all are today ,

well most

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Apparently in early English Nil meant the opposite of will.

So where as will was wanting to do something, nil was not wanting to, so willy nilly meant not knowing one way or the other or haphazard x "

Now I'm confused.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I prefer the phrase Free Willy

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

My brain hurts

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I prefer the phrase Free Willy "

I like freeing willies

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I prefer the phrase Free Willy

I like freeing willies "

Free mine ??

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I prefer the phrase Free Willy

I like freeing willies "

Willy can be a very upright bloke.

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By *Ryan-Man
over a year ago

In Your Bush

Willy is full of shit

(on another thread)

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"How sensible you all are today ,

well most "

Why thank you.... And just to give it my twopennyworth seriously for a mo, another possible meaning/usage for Willy Nilly is not being able to make ones mind up, or lacking direction....

Think it's one of those which has got lost in the midst's of time....

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By *rightonsteveMan
over a year ago

Brighton - even Hove!

Slightly off thread (but I'm going to say it anyway cos I'm a silly billy), if Henry the Eighth had said "hallowed be thy name" as part of the lords prayer, it would have come out as "hallod be tha nom". I saw it on a tv prog years ago and always remembered it as it said we wouldn't have been able to understand the Tudors talk and speech.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Slightly off thread (but I'm going to say it anyway cos I'm a silly billy), if Henry the Eighth had said "hallowed be thy name" as part of the lords prayer, it would have come out as "hallod be tha nom". I saw it on a tv prog years ago and always remembered it as it said we wouldn't have been able to understand the Tudors talk and speech. "

slight beist thus an understatementus.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Think it's a local abreviation/slange like the cockneys use in london, things like dingle dangle, jingle jangle, itsy bitsy, teeny weeny used in the states.

It's just a play on words, but words like blige go bay a long way and tend to stay and be used in areas of briton.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I prefer the phrase Free Willy

I like freeing willies

Free mine ?? "

Anytime,

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I prefer the phrase Free Willy

I like freeing willies

Free mine ??

Anytime, "

Promises promises

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"I prefer the phrase Free Willy "

you would

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Slightly off thread (but I'm going to say it anyway cos I'm a silly billy), if Henry the Eighth had said "hallowed be thy name" as part of the lords prayer, it would have come out as "hallod be tha nom". I saw it on a tv prog years ago and always remembered it as it said we wouldn't have been able to understand the Tudors talk and speech.

slight beist thus an understatementus."

There you go with the latin again

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By *ranny-CrumpetWoman
over a year ago

Crumpet Castle

Nill = Null = wont

Will = will = will

Willy Nilly ..... I will I won't we will we wont .... dizzy see.....

Willy Nilly all over the place. Changing your mind ........yes no yes no yes no yes no

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I prefer the phrase Free Willy

you would "

Willy needs to breathe every now and then you know

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"Nill = Null = wont

Will = will = will

Willy Nilly ..... I will I won't we will we wont .... dizzy see.....

Willy Nilly all over the place. Changing your mind ........yes no yes no yes no yes no "

Thankyou Granny very clear definition

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"I prefer the phrase Free Willy

you would

Willy needs to breathe every now and then you know"

Yes I've seen it happen... Spurts everywhere from that hole near the head

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By *ll-Knight-longMan
over a year ago

Derby/Notts(Long Eaton)

Methinks such language maketh a conversation not that different from the newly merging text speak.....language is fluid and ever changing

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By *enuinetallstuMan
over a year ago

nr beauly


"I prefer the phrase Free Willy "
I also love this one too

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By *ranny-CrumpetWoman
over a year ago

Crumpet Castle

ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll

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ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll

=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=

ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll

=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=

ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll

=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=ll=

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By *ranny-CrumpetWoman
over a year ago

Crumpet Castle

I just liked the pattern it made before.

Better get the floor done ....... sigh

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"I just liked the pattern it made before.

Better get the floor done ....... sigh "

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I prefer the phrase Free Willy

you would

Willy needs to breathe every now and then you know

Yes I've seen it happen... Spurts everywhere from that hole near the head"

That is a sneeze not a breath you have left the door open and he got a head cold

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