1885. G. A. Sala, in Daily Telegraph, Sept. 3, 5, 5. They got
enough flour from Sydney to make their ‘dampers,’ and enough tea to
boil in their billies.
1886. G. Sutherland, Australia, p. 104. A billy, or small tin can,
for boiling tea or coffee.
1889. Illustrations, Oct., p. 22. Refusing a pressing invitation to
stay and spend Christmas with the good people with whom I had been
boarding, and heeding lightly their remarks as to ‘new chum,’
‘dangers of the bush,’ ‘all alone,’ ‘strange country,’ etc., etc.,
I took a look at the map, and packed my ‘swag.’ Now a ‘swag’
proper, usually contains blankets, towels, ‘billy,’ pannikin, and
many other articles ... Ibid, p. 28. The ‘billy’ is off, but the
roadman (Irish, of course) gives me a grateful cup of beer, and
accompanies me to the hotel another mile down the road.
Billy Barlow, subs. (common).—A street clown; a mountebank—so called
from the hero of a slang song. Billy was a real person, semi-idiotic,
and though in dirt and rags, fancied himself a swell of the first
water. Occasionally he came out with real witticisms. He was a
well-known street character about the East-end of London, and died in
Whitechapel Workhouse.
1851–61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. III., p. 148.
Billy Barlow is another supposed comic character, that usually
accompanies either the street-dancers or acrobats in their
peregrinations. The dress consists of a cocked-hat and red feather,
a soldier’s coat (generally a sergeant’s with sash), white trousers
with the legs tucked into Wellington boots, a large tin eye-glass,
and an old broken and ragged umbrella.
These merry Andrews are otherwise called Jim crows and saltimbancos;
among the French, un pitre.
Billy-Boy, subs. (nautical).—A vessel like a galliot, with two masts,
the fore-mast square-rigged. They hail mainly from Goole. Also called
humber-keels.
Billy-Button, subs. (rhyming slang).—1. Mutton.