Bill

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Proper noun 1.1.1 Quotations 1.1.2 References 2 Swedish 2.1 Proper noun

[edit] English

[edit] Proper noun

Singular Bill

Plural -

Bill

1. A diminutive of the male given name William.
2. (British, slang) A nickname for the British constabulary. Often called "The Bill" or "Old Bill"
3. (US, slang) One Hundred Dollars.

[edit] Quotations

• 1974 John le Carré, Tinker. Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Simon&Schuster, 2002, ISBN 0743457900, page 7

  "My other name's Bill," he said. "I was christened Bill but Mr Thursgood calls me William."

  "Bill, eh. The unpaid Bill. Anyone ever call you that?"

  "No, sir."

  "Good name, anyway."

  "Yes, sir."

  "Known a lot of Bills. They've all been good 'uns."

• 1998 Nick Hornby, About A Boy, Victor Gollancz, 1998, ISBN 0575061596, page 208

  One of his neighbours opposite, a nice old guy with a stoop and a horrible little Yorkshire terrier, called him Bill - always had done and presumably always would, right up till the day he died. It actually irritated Will, who was not, he felt, by any stretch of the imagination, a Bill. Bill wouldn't smoke spliffs and listen to Nirvana. So why had he allowed this misapprehension to continue? Why hadn't he just said, four years ago, "Actually my name is Will"?

[edit] References

• Metropolitan Police Service - Origins of the name "Old Bill" (2)

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[edit] Swedish

[edit] Proper noun

Bill

1. A male given name borrowed from English.