Meaning
Very hard, fast, loudly or intensely. Can intensify many verbs, not only movement: rain, work, shout and hurt are natural combinations. Regional use: British English.
Origin
The British intensifier is documented in several spellings from the 19th century. Its origin is unknown. Stories about the locomotive Puffing Billy or a preacher named Billio are attractive but chronologically unsupported; historical dictionaries appropriately leave the derivation unresolved.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- Like billio
- Like billy-hoo
- Like billy-oh
Usage Examples
- It rained like billy-o all the way from Penrith to the coast.
- We had to pedal like billy-o to reach the last ferry.