Meaning & use
billyo
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Meaning
adverbinformalold-fashioned
Used in the phrase 'like billyo' to mean very fast, hard, or energetically.
Grammar: Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'like billyo' after a verb: running like billyo.
Patterns
- like billyo
- run like billyo
- work like billyo
When the rain started, we ran like billyo to the car.
She was working like billyo to finish the report by noon.
The dog came tearing down the garden like billyo.
Common combinations
- like billyo
- He was sawing like billyo to get the branch off the road.
- run like billyo
- The children ran like billyo when the bell rang.
- work like billyo
- They worked like billyo to clear the snow before dawn.
Synonyms and how they differ
- like mad
- 'Like mad' is more common in modern English and has the same meaning of doing something with great energy or speed.
- like crazy
- Similar informal phrase; 'like crazy' is more current than 'like billyo'.
Opposites
Commonly confused: billyo or billy-o?
billyo vs billy-o
Same word, sometimes written with a hyphen. The spelling 'billyo' is also common.
Practice
What does 'like billyo' mean in 'She was cleaning like billyo'?
Choose one answer.
'Like billyo' is an informal, old-fashioned phrase meaning very fast or energetically. It does not mean slowly, carelessly, or noisily.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “billyo”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.