203.- Willy-nilly. Profesor

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Willy-nilly

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the-english-we-speak_2022/ep-220822

 

Introduction

Sometimes we do things without planning them and they end up being a bit haphazard! Learn a phrase to describe this!

Transcript

Feifei
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak with me, Feifei.

Roy
And me, Roy. Feifei, you look really angry. What’s wrong?

Feifei
Well, Roy. I can’t find anything in the office. Things have been moved and stuff has just been thrown into drawers willy-nilly.

Roy
Willy and Nilly? Who are these people? And why are they throwing stuff in drawers?

Feifei
No, Roy! I said ‘willy-nilly’. ‘Willy-nilly’ is an informal expression which means randomly or without order. Someone has made a terrible mess in the office.

Roy
Ahhh – I understand. It was Rob. He organised the office willy-nilly, and you know what he’s like – just throwing things in drawers just willy-nilly, putting things everywhere willy-nilly! Making a mess willy-nilly.

Feifei
Roy, I think you’re overusing the expression. You can’t just say it willy-nilly.

Roy
Very good! I see what you did there – impressive use of the expression.

Feifei
Well, if you’re impressed by that, wait till you hear another use of ‘willy-nilly’.

Examples
I’m not sure that’s art. It looks like you’ve just thrown colours on the canvas willy-nilly.

You can’t just come into the office willy-nilly. We have a set start time!

In the morning, I just put on any old clothes willy-nilly.

Feifei
You’re listening to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English and we’re hearing about the expression ‘willy-nilly’. We can use it to mean something has been done without order or randomly.

Roy
So, I guess you can’t just use the expression in a sentence willy-nilly.

Feifei
Exactly. By the way, Roy. I saw you were arranging another office Olympics – I’m sorry, I can’t just attend your silly games willy-nilly as I have work.

Roy
But if you can’t attend them willy-nilly, perhaps you could plan for a time when you don’t have work.

Feifei
Even if I didn’t have to work, I wouldn’t take part!

Roy
Why not?

Feifei
Because those games are stupid. Bye.

Roy
Bye.