Kaiser Bill

9.6

A name people use to mock Wilhelm II, the German emperor in World War I

proper noun

Archaic

: Kaiser Bill

Many Allied propaganda posters during the war ridiculed Kaiser Bill to boost morale.

Examples

In political cartoons, Kaiser Bill was shown wearing a spiked helmet and a militaristic scowl.
Many soldiers fought against Kaiser Bill's forces.
British newspapers often depicted Kaiser Bill as the main antagonist during World War I.
During World War I, Kaiser Bill was a prominent figure.
British newspapers often depicted Kaiser Bill as the main antagonist during World War I.
In political cartoons, Kaiser Bill was shown wearing a spiked helmet and a militaristic scowl.
Many Allied propaganda posters during the war ridiculed Kaiser Bill to boost morale.

Synonyms

Kaiser Wilhelm

vsKaiser Bill

8.2

German ruler and King of Prussia from 1888 to 1918 who led Germany during World War I

is a familiar English wartime nickname rather than the formal title

Wilhelm II

vsKaiser Bill

8.8

The last German emperor and King of Prussia who ruled Germany until 1918 and led it in World War I

is a casual English wartime nickname used for that person

Surface Forms

Kaiser Bill main

Morphology

Kaiser + Bill

The phrase transparently combines 'Kaiser' (emperor) with a personal name 'Bill', so a B1 learner who knows those words can infer it refers to an emperor or an emperor’s nickname. However, the specific identification as Wilhelm II and its World War I connotations depend on cultural/historical knowledge and the convention of 'Bill' as a nickname for William, so the full meaning is not fully deducible from the parts alone.

Etymology

Kaiser Bill was a mocking nickname used by the British in World War I. Kaiser is the German word for 'emperor' and adding the common English name Bill made the ruler sound ordinary and easy to laugh at, so the name came to mean 'Wilhelm II', the German 'emperor' in English.