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

1. an unimaginably large amount
   • British say `it rained like billyo' where Americans say `it rained like all get out'