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Expression of the Day
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willy nilly

Featured Fossil Word
March 25, 2025
Fossil Word
Without direction or planning. Willy is a word used in a few ways in modern English but nilly only exist in this exact phrase, thus it is considered a fossil.
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print

Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.

Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

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