Bill:
The Old Bill, i.e. the Police. I have come across several possible
explanations for this expression. One suggests that "Bill" comes from
the vehicle registration number plates of the Metropolitan Police in
London in the 1920s. It is alleged that many of the police cars had
numbers associated with the letters "BL" and were thus easily
recognised. Why "old" in this context, I'm afraid, eludes me.
Another origin suggests association with "Old Bill", a WW1 cartoon
character, since many of the post WW1 policemen wore "Old Bill"
moustaches.
A further possibility suggests a link back to "Constables of the Watch"
who each carried a weapon called a Bill.
Another theory that it is cockney slang for old 'bill and coo'- boys in
blue.
Whatever the origin, the phrase has gained general popularity only
since the early 1960s, perhaps due to the influence of TV.
Billio: Going like Billio meaning furious and fast activity has, again,
several possible likely origins. Going like Billio meaning furious and
fast activity has, again, several possible likely origins. The first
suggests comparison with Stephenson's, William Hedley 1814 designed,
steam engine, the "Puffing Billy", as the basis. (The term "billypot"
was well established in the 19th century for a can or pot used to boil
water over an open fire; perhaps this is where Stephenson's engine got
its name?)
Another implicates an Italian soldier at the time of Garibaldi. His
name was Lt Nino Bixio - pronounced Biglio in his native Genoese
dialect - and it is said that he would enter battle encouraging his men
to follow him and "fight like Biglio". I prefer the "Puffing Billy"
version.
There is a third, unlikely origin, based on the Puritan 17th century
divine Joseph Billio. He allegedly exhorted his followers to great acts
of zeal. However, the expression didn't enter the language until long
after his death and it seems improbable that he was the cause.
Billy: Silly Billy. This is what people are called if they are thought
to be a bit stupid about a particular matter - 'don't be a silly
Billy'. This comes from a nickname given to King William IV (b1765:
1830-37). There is also an element of rhyming in the words.
In March 2005 Victoria Dennis wrote. I suspect that "Silly Billy" has
always been a nickname for people called William, simply because of the
rhyme, as you say. William IV was certainly not the first even of his
family to have that nickname; his much older cousin, William Frederick
Duke of Gloucester, who really was simple-minded, was "Silly Billy"
decades before him.
Bird: To get the bird. Another one of undiscovered cause but at which I
can guess. The saying brings up a picture of a music hall act being
jeered and whistled off the stage. The whistling could well be compared
to the chirping and tweeting of birds, hence the comparison.
A little bird told me. This "little bird" implies a secret or private
source of knowledge. Most authorities believe in a Biblical origin,
found in Ecclesiastes 10:20 which includes "for a bird of the air shall
carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter".
There is an alternative explanation involving King Solomon. All the
birds of the air were summoned to him but the Lapwing did not appear.
Later the Lapwing explained that he had been with the Queen of Sheba
and that she had indicated that she intended to visit Solomon. The King
began to make preparations for the visit; in the meanwhile the Lapwing
flew to the Queen and told her that the King had a great desire to see
her. As history records, such a meeting did take place, but the role of
the Lapwing is less clear.
The Arabic version of this story is apparently a little different. A
rare bird, the Hoopoe, was missing. Another bird was sent to find it
and bring it back to Solomon. On return, the Hoopoe said that it had
been with the Queen of Sheba and that she was planning to visit. Same
theme, but only one journey.
Biscuit: To take the biscuit; see "cake".
Bitter: To the bitter end. Again a nautical origin, having nothing to
do with a bitter taste. On a sailing ship the last piece of a hauling
or anchor rope was made fast to the bits, or cleats near deck level.
When the rope was nearing its end it had a coloured rag on it to
indicate that it was coming to a finish and could be let out no
further. When the final part was reached it had come to the "bitter
end".
Black sheep: The black sheep of the family; This description is applied
to someone who doesn't conform to their family's ideals, a bit of a
rogue out of step with the rest. The expression goes back at least as
far as a 1550 ballad where it states that "the blacke shepe is a
perylous beast". Shepherds of those times thought that a black sheep
disturbed the rest of the flock. Furthermore black wool cannot be dyed
to different colours and is therefore less valuable than white wool.
Black: To black ball someone, implies that a person is not acceptable,
usually as a member of a group or club. The expression indeed goes back
to the days of 18th century clubs. New applications for membership were
examined by the ruling committee; secret votes were then cast by
putting balls into a container. Red balls meant acceptance and black
ones rejection. It only needed one black ball for the application to
fail.
To
be in someone's black book or to be on a blacklist; these expressions
both meaning to mark someone as out of favour, have the same basic
origins. Black books were common in medieval times and seem at first to
have been records of laws and customs of the times. In Henry VIII's
time the books were considered as records of supposed corruption by the
monasteries and were used as a basis for their dissolution. At about
the same time merchants began to keep records of bad debts and black
books were created of persons who had gone bankrupt. Later still Oxford
and Cambridge Universities as well as Army Regiments kept black books
and lists of persons guilty of misconduct; such persons could not then
advance in their careers. This is the definition given in the 1811
dictionary but, today, although the expressions are in common usage,
the most common use is that found in the Trade Union movement where "to
black" has replaced the full phrases.
To
be a black leg is used to describe someone who is considered to be out
of step with opinions held by his peer group; a workman who continues
to work when others are on strike. This is another where I haven't
found an origin, but the 1811 dictionary says: "a gambler or sharper on
the turf or in the cock-pit: so called, perhaps, from their appearing
generally in boots; or else from game-cocks whose legs are always
black". These all describe people who are a bit different from most
others, hence a possible analogy. In September 2005 John Chadderton
said: "With regard to 'blackleg'. Both 'Blackleg' and 'Scab' are
diseases of the potato and both used by workers (whose staple was the
potato in the nineteenth century) to describe strike
breakers."
