Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a joc. euph. for SE hell, e.g. sheol to pay; sheol for hides, hell for leather.

[1885		Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) 8 June 4/4: ‘Sheol’ a sermon by Rev. Simmons].
1886		Sporting Times 13 Mar. 1/5: Politicians may tell us we are going to Sheol at home and abroad.
1887		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 Nov. 13/4: For instance, if I tell my mate ‘I’ll see you in Sheol before I bake this time,’ can I be lumbered?
1887		Referee 4 Oct. in Ware (1909) 221/1: In our own channels or in the great Australian bight we who would go to sea for pleasure would go to Sheol for pastime.
1890		Sporting Times 18 Jan. 2/2: It was resolved that the exact birthplace of Shifter might go to Sheol before any of us would take the trouble to stir out of the hotel to visit it.
1893–4		H. Lawson ‘Stiffner and Jim’ in Roderick (1972) 127: What the sheol did you do?
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 10 Feb. 24/4: At the Melbourne A.N.A. sports on Friday night, when a push was going Sheol for hides in a lightning heat, ker-smash went a batch of competitors at a bad end, and for half a second the air was full of crumpled riders and crippled machines and tyres and spokes.
1902		Bulletin (Sydney) 27 Dec. 14/4: This was his trump card, and always frightened Sheol out of the boss, who’d yell ‘Mine Gott in Himmel!’ and make for the house.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 14 Aug. 4/7: Gory Sheol broke loose in the editorial sanctum of a Perth daily last week.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 117: I have been out all night and there’s sheol to pay.
c.1905		J. Furphy Buln-Buln and the Brolga (1948) 🌐 ‘Go to (sheol)!’ responded Barefooted Bob.
1910		Bulletin (Sydney) 20 Oct. 26/2: The result was that Jeffries went into the ring unfit, and got Sheol.
1920		A. Baer Two & Three 22 Mar. [synd. col.] A screen door in sheol is equivalent to a paper hat at a blackjack festival.
1977		D. Powis Signs of Crime 200: Sheol Hell (East End Jewish).