English in a Minute: Willy-Nilly 

Welcome to English in a Minute!
Willy-nilly is definitely fun to say…
But what does it mean? Let’s listen.
A: Hey, I’m going to Brazil for a conference next week. You should come along.
B: Jonathan, I can’t just do something like that willy-nilly.
A: Sure you can!
B: The last time I traveled without planning I ended up sleeping in a movie theater. For three nights. Not fun.
Willy-nilly comes from the writings of William Shakespeare. It is shortened version of “will he nill he.” Back then, “nill” meant the opposite of “will.” These days, “willy nilly” describes something we do quickly and carelessly, without much thought or planning.
And that’s English in a Minute!
Originally published at - learningenglish.voanews.com/a...