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.