in a disorganized or unplanned manner; sloppily. whether one wishes to or not; willingly or unwillingly: He’ll have to do it willy-nilly.
What’s the origin of the saying willy nilly?
Q: The first citation for “willy-nilly” in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1608. The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology says it’s a contraction of “will I, nill I” or “will he, nill he” or “will ye, nill ye.” The word “nill” is from the Old English “nyllan,” a combination of “ne” (no) and “willan” (will).
How do you use willy nilly?
If something happens willy-nilly, it happens even if the people who are involved do not want it to happen: Both sides were drawn, willy-nilly, into the conflict. without any order: She threw her clothes willy-nilly into a drawer.
Is Willy Nilly an idiom?
1 do something whether you want to or not: She was forced willy-nilly to accept the company’s proposals. 2 do something in a careless way without planning: Don’t just use your credit card willy-nilly. This expression is a shortened form of ‘willing or not willing’.
Which of the following sentences uses the phrase willy nilly correctly?
1. He found himself drawn, willy-nilly, into the argument. 2. The government were dragged willy-nilly into the confrontation.
How do you use the word willy in a sentence?
My friend Billy had a ten foot willy , He showed it to the girl next door. Imogen was keen to find Richards portrait and Lisa was soon adding a little willy to his head. An individually gift-wrapped mini sticky willy that the hens will just love to feel and fondle.
What is dilly dally mean?
to waste time
Definition of dillydally intransitive verb. : to waste time by loitering or delaying : dawdle. Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About dillydally.
What’s a wishy washy girl?
The definition of wishy wishy is someone or something uncertain, indecisive and wavering, or someone who cannot make up his mind. An example of a wishy washy person is someone who says yes to an invitation, and then no, and then that he will think about it.
What does eensy weensy mean?
tiny
tiny; small. Also: eensie-weensie.
What is the meaning of willy-nilly?
Definition of willy-nilly 1 : by compulsion : without choice 2 : in a haphazard or spontaneous manner Synonyms & Antonyms for willy-nilly
What is willy-nilly cooperation?
wil·ly-nil·ly 1. Being or occurring whether desired or not: willy-nilly cooperation. 2. Disordered; haphazard: willy-nilly zoning laws.
What does Willy-Nilly zoning laws mean?
Disordered; haphazard: willy-nilly zoning laws. [Alteration of will ye (or he or I), nill ye (or he or I), be you (or he or I) willing, be you (or he or I) unwilling .] American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
Is there a connection between Willy-Nilly and Shilly-Shally?
That makes the connection between ‘willy-nilly’ and ‘shilly-shally’ apparent. However, there are literally thousands of 18th and 19th century pre-datings of the phrase, in various newspapers and works of literature; for example, The Adventures of Dick Hazard, 1755:
