Bill (Eton), in the bill, on the punishment list.
Some of the small boys whom this delightful youth tempted to ape his habits, had often occasion to rue it when they staggered back to college giddy and sick, carrying with them a perfume which told its tale to their tutors, and caused them to be put in the bill.—Brinsley Richards: Seven Years at Eion.
Bill, a long or short (common), a term of imprisonment.
Out of prison, Larry? Lord save me! yev've had a short bill this time for kicking a woman.—Savage London.
Bill blighters (winter), small fagots employed in the kitchen to light the fires.
Billed up (army), confined to barracks, a term peculiar to Her Majesty's Guards, to whom a punishment which curtails freedom of movement is no doubt especially irksome.
Billet (Australian, popular), a situation. A billet is as universal a term for a situation as "screw" is for a salary in Australia, or "bobby" for policeman in England. The metaphor is of course taken from billets or quarters being found for soldiers, who are then said to be "billeted out" in military parlance. Thus one of the commonest slang words in Australia—
Up country billets oft are loss,
Work for "tucker"—trust the boss.
A gentleman at a boarding-house in Parramatta, New South Wales, in 1883, related with great gusto a curate's billet in Northumberland which had just come under his notice. The vicar was away travelling round the world for his health, and the curate, a Cambridge graduate, received the magnificent stipend of £120 a year for looking after the church services, the parish, the vicar's wife and five children, and two pupils cramming for matriculation.
Billet is used in England with a like signification. In prisons "getting a billet" is being appointed to some office which procures certain advantages for the convict who is fortunate enough to receive the favour.
Some time later on I renewed my acquaintance with P nnder difficulties which were not altogether insurmountable, and as he walked behind me in the exercise ground, he told me the story of his commercial career. Being a "communion bloke" and a "good character" man, he soon got a billet. He was enrolled amongst the "cleaners," and promoted to be the "chaplain's orderly," which was the only billet I wished to obtain for myself. He secured it, and on a Sunday solemnly marched np the pulpit stairs to open the Bible or Prayer Book, and fix therein at the proper places the hymns and anthems to be sung by the congregation. This was his Sunday's duty.—Evening News.
(Old military slang), billet, appointed place or aim. "Every bullet has its billet."
