Billy-o

In the phrase "run like Billy-o" - who is Billy?
16:49 Wed 25th Jan 2012
 
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King Billy. William 3rd
Ignore that.^^^ Markrae's answer seems more likely
Question Author
Thanks for your answers.

Yes the train thing seems more likely. Still don't get the "O" though.
"-o" used to be a very common vocable suffix, cf "Oh my dearie-o" etc...
When i was a child there used to be a rhyme that went like this-
Puffing Billy went to Stoke, when he came back he had no smoke. So yes, I agree with Markrae it is a steam engine.
the 0 seems to be part of a phrase especially in the song green grow the rushes 0
Cassell's Dict of Slang gives

Like billy-o/billy-ho - a general intensifier and expression of energy or effort, most enthusiastically, strenuously, speedily. [dialect euphemism for 'bloody hell']. Current from late C19.
Have a look here http://www.worldwidew...icalwords/tw-bil1.htm for the possibilities as researched by an expert etymologist and lexicographer.

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