What is the meaning of PUNTER and BILLY?

Question

i am translating a book from english and have come across two nouns i don't know the meaning of. the fist is PUNTER. i looked it up in the dictionary and found out that it is someone that gambles (which makes sense), but i couldn't find BILLY anywhere. from the context in the book, the two words should be similar in meaning. please help me!

thank you very much, adi

Usenet · Accepted Answer

| i am translating a book from english and have come across two | nouns i don't know the meaning of. | the fist is PUNTER. i looked it up in the dictionary and found | out that it is someone that gambles (which makes sense), but | i couldn't find BILLY anywhere. from the context in the book, | the two words should be similar in meaning.

I wonder if you have a mis-reading of Billy Bunter.

Billy (William George) Bunter was a well known character in a series of school stories set in Greyfriars School. http://www15.brinkster.com/hiamie/greyfriars/greyfriars.htm http://histclo.hispeed.com/lit/uk/bb/le-bunt.html

If there is a more modern meaning it may be:

The Dictionary of Roadie Slang says: Bunter (Billy Bunter) - similar to Fred - those guys riding to/from work flat out always trying to smash you, yet always get dropped in any race. Fred -- Anyone who is marching to the beat of a different drummer. A newbie. http://members.tripod.com/geert_pc/slang.htm#B

Owain

Usenet · Answer

On 2 Nov 2003 15:18:19 -0800, (Email Removed) (adihead) said:
[nq:1]i am translating a book from english and have come across two nouns i don't know the meaning of. the ... find BILLY anywhere. from the context in the book, the two words should be similar in meaning. please help me![/nq]
Have you tried an unabridged dictionary? Webster's Third New International has

Main Entry:billie Variant:also billy \bili\ 1 chiefly Scotland : COMRADE, COMPANION *my old school billie 2 chiefly Scotland : BROTHER 3 chiefly Scotland : LAD, FELLOW, BOY *when chapman billies leave the street -- Robert Burns

A large British dictionary, The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, has a similar definition of "billy".

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]i am translating a book from english and have come across two nouns i don't know the meaning of. the ... help me! It would help if you gave some context, e.g. the full sentence or, even better, teh full paragraph.[/nq]
Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]i am translating a book from english and have come across two nouns i don't know the meaning of. the ... context in the book, the two words should be similar in meaning. please help me! thank you very much, adi[/nq]
A punter *is a gambler or someone who's having a bet on something (sometimes called 'a punt'), but by extension it means something like 'a customer for whom the provider of service has no respect or indeed contempt for'. So a bookie would originally describe gamblers as punters but also (in cop shows anyway) prostitutes refer their clients as punters. Years ago a friend worked at an Unemployment Benefit Office where, apparently, the staff referred to welfare claimants as punters. It's generally a term of disrespect, & I sometimes use it myself -usually in a sitution where you're talking about someone who may have an inflated sense of their own dignity:-

"Who's this punter with Dave?" "He's the MD of Megabucks International."

But are you sure this isn't about Billy Bunter? Could we have a context please?

Regards DC Cat

What is the meaning of PUNTER and BILLY?

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