The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #132499   Message #4173119
Posted By: leeneia
25-May-23 - 01:47 PM
Thread Name: BS: Language Pet Peeves
Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
It's kinda specialized, because I love early literature and music, but one peeve of mine is the the misuse of "willy-nilly." People use it to mean hurriedly or carelessly, but it actually means whether he wanted to or not.   Will-he or Not-will-he.

The hill was steeper than he thought, and he pelted down it willy-nilly.

Often when people use willy-nilly, they should use helter-skelter, meaning in hurried disarray.
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Steve, no matter how many other people goof it up, up I will not accept the substitution of literally for virtually.