Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a statement of resignation, of acceptance.

1893		S. Crane Maggie, a Girl of the Streets (2001) 4: ‘Ah, what deh hell,’ he said.
1916		R. Service ‘The Volunteer’ in Rhymes of a Red Cross Man 21: The wife and nippers, wot of ’em I say, / If I gets knocked out in this blasted war? / Gets proper busted by a shell, / But – wot the ’ell, Bill? Wot the ’ell?
1929		J. O’Hara ‘Fifty-Cent Meal’ in New Yorker 12 Jan. 64/2: I paid fourteen bucks for the tickets but what the hell, we don’t have reunions every night of the week.
1930		G. Milburn ‘Our Lil’ in Hobo’s Hornbook 141: But Lil died game boys, that I’ll tell, / So what the hell, Bill, what the hell.
1937		R. Westerby Wide Boys Never Work (1938) 162: Charing Cross Road was worse – but what the hell?
1940		D. Maurer Big Con 203: What the hell [...] we’re supposed to be out on the road.
1945		L. Hoban ‘Time to Kill’ Crack Detective Jan. 🌐 I didn’t feel right about it — but wotinell, I only work on salary.
1955		J.P. Donleavy Ginger Man (1958) 86: I’m thinking of joining the Jews to fight the Arabs or the Arabs to fight the Jews. What the hell. I’m sick of it all.
1959		Murtagh & Harris Who Live In Shadow (1960) 21: Even the junk hogs aren’t too bad off. What the hell, they get cured of their habits, don’t they?
1961		M. Terry Old Liberty (1962) 180: ‘What the hell,’ Bo mumbles.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 172: What the hell, Carl, we know she’s a whore.
1976		Cab Calloway Of Minnie the Moocher and Me 71: What the hell, let’s go out and have a ball.
1981		J. Ellroy Brown’s Requiem 55: Strange for a cheapshit little bar like that, but what the hell?
1995		C. Hiaasen Stormy Weather 6: What the hell, let’s check it out.
2000		Indep. Rev. 22 Jan. 5: What the hell – it’s the packaging I’m in it for.

2. a general excl. indicative of annoyance or surprise.

1893		S. Crane Maggie, a Girl of the Streets (2001) 4: ‘What deh hell, Jimmie?’ he asked of the small champion.
1920		R. Lardner Big Town 110: The general idea was, What the hell!
1936		G. Greene Gun for Sale (1973) 179: Buddy blustered, ‘What the hell!’.
1946		J. Evans Halo in Blood (1988) 14: I said, ‘What the hell?’ under my breath and finished lighting my cigarette.
1952		H. McCoy Corruption City 114: What the hell, copper, you nuts or something?
1964		A. Hine Unsinkable Molly Brown 62: ‘What the hell!’ Christmas exploded.