billy-ho
/'biliou/ Cách viết khác : (billy-ho) /'bilihou/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: - An extremely large or intense amount or degree; used to emphasize the intensity or extremity of something. This word is almost exclusively used in the British English idiom "like billy-o."
Usage
The word "billy-ho" (also spelled billy-o or billyoh) is a non-count noun. It is never used alone. It only functions as part of the fixed adverbial phrase like billy-o, which means "with great force, intensity, or enthusiasm."
Examples
- (It is raining very heavily.)
- (He was running extremely fast.)
- (They were arguing very fiercely.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase like billy-o is informal and primarily used in British and Australian English. Its origin is uncertain but it dates to the late 19th/early 20th century.
- It is used to modify verbs to add extreme emphasis, similar to the American English phrases "like crazy," "like mad," or "like all get-out."
Variants and Related Words
- Billy-o: The most common alternate spelling.
- Billyoh: A less common spelling variant.
Synonyms (for the phrase "like billy-o")
- Like crazy
- Like mad
- Like anything
- For all one is worth
- Like all get-out (chiefly US)
Related Idioms
- Like billy-o: The only established idiom containing this word. It means with tremendous vigor, speed, or intensity.
- The engine was roaring like billy-o.
- She worked like billy-o to finish the project on time.
Noun
- an unimaginably large amount
- British say `it rained like billyo' where Americans say `it rained like all get out'