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Good afternoon, Rusty!
I am pleased to hear that your car passed its MOT!
That's one thing ticked off your list......
Ah yes, I remember now about your friend's wife using the phrase.
I checked again, and found a few possible alternative derivations, although no one seemed certain of the origin .
This article thought that the phrase pertained to Kaiser Wilhelm II
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37550178
Another source thought that an old miner in Nottingham coined the phrase, misremembering the name of the current Prince of Wales , who was called called "George", and thinking he was "Bill"!
(It seems unlikely?)
https://nottinghamhiddenhistoryteam.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/it-looks-a-bit-black-over-bills-mothers/
I rather fancy the Shakespeare allusion!
(But we may never know.......)

Hello, Elle!
Yes, good news about my car!
I thought the Kaiser was known as Willy, rather than Bill, though.
The Nottingham claim does not really appeal to me.
Shakespeare is a definite possi-BILL-ity!
I doubt we'll ever know, Elle.
I like the phrase though.
Apart from my pal's late wife, I have never heard it used up here.
I think it is good to keep the old phrases going.
I have had to explain "yonks", a word I use often, to my grandchildren!

Hi, Rusty!
"Kaiser Bill", I think?
But as you say, probably we shall never know the origin of the phrase!
I didn't know the meaning of "yonks" either...I seem to remember your explaining it to me!
I have been up and down the ladder all afternoon , trying to clear out and reorganise a top cupboard over my wardrobe.
There were two suitcases up there full of "goodies" ....bags, scarves , gloves , belts ....
Items that hadn't seen the light of day for years!
There is a lot of stuff to take to the charity shop!
Now I have to decide what to put up there this time.....!
Strange...my daughter hasn't phoned me , and it's gone past four o'clock...
Usually she rings every day on her way home.
I shall text her to check all is okay.

Hello, Elle!
Yes, Kaiser Bill sounds right.
I think Little Willy was a gun or a tank or something, perhaps.
It is good to have clear out!
Could be your daughter has no signal where she is?
I am sure she will be fine!
We have a weather warning for ice.
I do not like the sound of that!

Hi, Rusty!
There was a question about Sloane Stephens on "Eggheads"!
The Challenger was asked in what sport did Sloane Stephens take part?
He did not know!
My daughter rang just after I spoke to you...all is fine.
She was just running late.
It is growing colder here ...but the forecast for tomorrow, although supposedly only 0C early in the morning, is also for sunshine!
So that sounds good!

Hello, Elle!
I would have got the Sloane Stephens question right!
She won today.
I was reading about her yesterday.
She thinks the world of Judy Murray.
"I wish she was my second Mom!"
Good to hear your daughter is fine.
Are you to get ice or snow?
The gritters are out here.

Hi, Rusty!
The forecast for our area simply says minus 1 first thing (it's going lower!) with a high of 4C later in the day.
It specifies sunshine and a breeze, but does not mention anything like snow or ice.
Hopefully we shall have neither.....
Even when it does snow, I have never yet seen a gritter in all the years I have lived in London!
I don't think our Council believes in prevention!
I am going out for lunch tomorrow ......not quite "Ladies who Lunch" any more, though, as there will only be two of us.
We are to celebrate my friend's birthday.

Hello, Elle!
I think the snow is for up here and ice as well.
Maybe that bitty warmer down South.
I would think your Council does not think it economically viable to buy gritters, if they would not often be in use?
Makes good sense.
Hope you have a nice lunch tomorrow!
I am going to have a wee look on YouTube now, to check out some of the foreign "Talent" shows, for half an hour.

Hi, Rusty!
Our main roads are usually cleared when it does snow - which admittedly is not very often, fortunately, in our neck of the woods.
Presumably by an invisible gritter?
But our side streets are just ignored.... we have to dig out our cars when it snows......and skid as best as we can down the road!
My Canadian friend, an ex Brit, laughs whenever we have snow here!
She thinks the UK is totally unprepared for any bad weather!
Scotland though seems to have got it right.......
Have you found anything interesting on YouTube?.

Hello, Elle!
it is straightforward to be well prepared for snow and blocked roads etc in Winter, if you want to spend the money to do it.
It is the cost that's the problem.
I have found several acts I really like on YouTube.
This is an Austrian act which was on America's Got Talent.
I thought they were super!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJjh19zO1lk