Donate SIGN UP
Home > Phrases & Sayings > Willy Nilly

Willy Nilly

Avatar Image
Uzoma | 06:43 Fri 20th Apr 2001 | Phrases & Sayings
3 Answers
Can someone please tell me where the phrase 'Willy Nilly' originates?
prev Who coined the phrase: "How's your father?"
  
next Windmills
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 3 of 3rss feed

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by Uzoma. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
Avatar Image janelh
According to my dictionary it's from one of the Australian Aboriginal languages, and it means a dust storm.
12:00 Fri 20th Apr 2001
Avatar Image allen ives
The Australian dust-storm is Willy Willy. Willy Nilly, i.e. whether you want to or not, comes from the Latin Volens Nolens, or grammatically Nolens Volens. Pronounce the V as a W.
16:16 Fri 20th Apr 2001
Avatar Image JohnThorn
Willy nilly is a corrupted form of 'will he, nill he'. 'Nill' is an obsolete word being the negative of 'will' - roughly meaning 'won't'. So 'willy nilly' means ' whether he will or won't'.
14:30 Tue 01st May 2001

1 to 3 of 3rss feed

Do you know the answer?

Willy Nilly

Answer Question >>