128: willy-nilly Apr 15, 2015

The phrase 'willy-nilly' is a common phrase, but sounds rather as if it were made up by a child. This was not always the case. 'Willy-nilly' comes from the 17th century phrase, "will I, nill I" which meant "I am willing, I am unwilling", and would be used to convey, like it does today, something happening whether one likes it or not .