Dutch billy
English
Etymology
Apparently derived from a nickname for William III, on account of the houses' Dutch appearance.[1]
Noun
Dutch billy (plural Dutch billies)
- A type of rowhouse with distinctive curved gables, formerly common in Dublin and other Irish towns.
- 2011, Frank McDonald, “Dutch Billy 18th century houses at risk”, in The Irish Times:
- The term Dutch Billy refers to gable-fronted houses built in the late 17th and early 18th centuries – not just in Dublin, but also Cork, Drogheda, Limerick and Waterford – by waves of Huguenot and Quaker immigrants as well as tradesmen from Britain.
- 2014, David Dickson, Dublin: The Making of a Capital City, Harvard University Press, page 86:
- With the adoption of brick earlier in the century, "Dutch billies" became the common house-type, with gable-fronted facades, cruciform roof ridges, shallow windows without sashes, tight stairwells, small halls and floor-to-ceiling panelling, more elaborate houses displaying curved or stepped front gables.
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