Billy

subs. (thieves’).—1.  A pocket or neck-handkerchief, chiefly of silk. The various ‘fancies’ are:—BELCHER, darkish blue ground, large round white spots, with a spot in the centre of darker blue than the ground: this was adopted by Jem Belcher, the pugilist, as his ‘colours,’ and soon became popular amongst ‘the fancy.’ BIRD’S EYE WIPE, a handkerchief of any colour, containing white spots: the blue bird’s-eye is similar to the BELCHER except in the centre; sometimes a BIRD’S EYE WIPE has a white ground and blue spots. BLOOD-RED FANCY, red. BLUE BILLY, blue ground generally with white figures. CREAM FANCY, any pattern on a white ground. KING’S MAN, yellow pattern on a green ground. RANDAL’S MAN, green, with white spots: the favourite colours of Jack Randal. WATER’S MAN, sky coloured. YELLOW FANCY, yellow with white spots. YELLOW MAN, all yellow: see sense 2.

  1857.  SNOWDEN, Magistrates Assistant, 3 ed., 444. A silk handkerchief. A BILLY.

  2.  (thieves’).—Stolen metal. Hence BILLY-HUNTING = (1) Collecting and buying old metal; and (2) on the prowl for stealing handkerchiefs: cf. sense 1. BILLY-FENCER = a marine store dealer.

  1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, I., 465. ‘He goes tatling and BILLY-HUNTING in the country (gathering rags and buying old metal).’

  3.  A weapon: usually a piece of untanned cowhide, as hard as horn itself, some six inches in length, twisted or braided into a sort of handle, and covered from end to end with woollen cloth: one extremity is loaded with lead; to the other is firmly attached a loop, large enough to admit a man’s hand, formed of strong linen cord, and intended to allow the BILLY to hang lose from the wrist, and at the same time prevent it being lost or wrenched from the grasp of its holder.

  18[?].  New York Herald [BARTLETT]. A day or two since a poor German was taken to prison, and, on examining him, it was discovered that he was a victim to the BILLY.

  1888.  Chicago Daily Inter Ocean, 4 April. The condition of the man reported as having been shot twice in the head on Thursday afternoon, is not at all alarming. It transpires that his wounds are not of the gun-shot sort, but were inflicted with a BILLY in the hands of a Pinkerton man.

  4.  (popular).—A policeman’s staff; a truncheon.

  1884.  Daily News, 7 April, v. 5, col. 1. Anderson was first brought down by a pistol shot, and was then corrected with a BILLY, till he declared himself vanquished.

  5.  (Australian and New Zealand).—A bushman’s tin pot, kettle or saucepan. [MORRIS:—The word comes from the proper name, used as abbreviation for William. Compare the common uses of ‘Jack,’ ‘Long Tom,’ ‘Spinning Jenny.’ It came into use about 1850. About 1850, the billy superseded the QUART-POT (q.v.), chiefly because of its top-handle and its lid. Another suggested derivation is that BILLY is shortened from BILLY-CAN, which is said to be bully-can (sc. Fr. bouilli). In the early days ‘bœuf bouilli’ was a common label on tins of preserved meat in ship’s stores. These tins, called ‘bully-tins,’ were used by diggers and others as the modern billy is (see quotation 1835). A third explanation gives as the origin the aboriginal word BILLA (river or water)]. Also (town’s) BILLY-CAN.

  1830.  R. DAWSON, Present State of Australia, 48. He then strikes a light and makes a fire to boil his kettle and fry his bacon.

  1835.  T. B. WILSON, Narrative of a Voyage Round the World, 238. An empty preserved-meat-canister serving the double purpose of tea-kettle and tea-pot. [The word BILLY is not used, but its origin is described].

  1857.  W. HOWITT, Tallangetta, 202. A tin pan bearing the familiar name of a BILLY.

  1871.  J. J. SIMPSON, Recitations, 5. He can’t get a BILLY full for many a mile round.

  1881.  A. C. GRANT, Bush-Life in Queensland, i., p. 41. A BILLY (that is, a round tin pitcher with a lid) in his hand.

  1885.  G. A. SALA, in Daily Telegraph, 3 Sept., 5, 5. They got enough flour from Sydney to make their ‘dampers,’ and enough tea to boil in their BILLIES.

  1886.  G. SUTHERLAND, Australia, p. 104. A ‘BILLY,’ or small tin can, for boiling tea or coffee.

  1889.  Cassell’s Picturesque Australasia, v. iv., p. 69: A tin can, which the connoisseurs call for some reason or other a BILLY.

  1889.  Illustrations, Oct., p. 21. Refusing a pressing invitation to stay and spend Christmas with the good people with whom I had been boarding, and heeding lightly their remarks as to ‘new chum,’ ‘dangers of the bush,’ ‘all alone,’ ‘strange country,’ etc., etc., I took a look at the map, and packed my ‘swag.’ Now a ‘swag’ proper, usually contains blankets, towels, ‘BILLY,’ pannikin, and many other articles … Ibid., p. 28. The ‘BILLY’ is off, but the roadman (Irish, of course) gives me a grateful cup of beer, and accompanies me to the hotel another mile down the road.

  1890.  BOLDREWOOD, The Squatter’s Dream, p. 24. A very black camp-kettle, or BILLY, of hot tea.

  1892.  The Australasian, April, 9, p. 707, col. 4.

  1892.  The Australasian, April 9, 707. 4.

  1902.  Pall Mall Gazette, 26 July, 2. 1. He starts, the scent of the gums in his nostrils, in the cool of early morning; and ceases with sunset glow, to boil his BILLY of tea by the precious ‘creek.’

  6.  A companion; a comrade; a mate; a PAL (q.v.): an endearment. Also (7) = ‘fellow’ (1774).

  7.  A brother; hence BILLYHOOD = brotherhood (1724).

  8.  (schools’).—A removal, or flying off. This term is used by boys when playing at marbles, and refers to shifting the place of a marble.