hell, the phr.
1. (orig. US) used to intensify a variety of questions, such as how the hell...?; what the hell...? phr.; where the hell...? phr.; who the hell...? phr.; why the hell...?
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | N.Y. by Gas-Light (1990) 194: His drowzy bench-fellow [...] inquires why the h-- he can’t lie still, and not be waking up his neighbors. | |
| Wanderings of a Vagabond 45: Why, how the h—l did you come by so much money? | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Wilds of London (1881) 241: Why the ’ell can’t yer leave a cove alone? | |
| Yorkville Enquirer (SC) 27 Nov. 1/1: ‘I thot you wanted to lay the hoss out.’ ‘The hell yu did’. | |
| Pink ’Un and Pelican 172: Hullo, Roman! [...] How the h—— are you? | |
| Hist. of Mr Polly (1946) 201: Why the hell was I ever born? | |
| letter 29 May in Paige (1971) 113: Hang it all, how the hell does one say what I’m trying to get at. | |
| Broadway Brevities Aug. 25: How in the H. E. double scratch was he going to do it? | |
| Western Dly Press 5 Aug. 9/5: Tommy, why the hell fight for the Japanese capitalisrs in China? | |
| ‘Big Blonde’ in Penguin Dorothy Parker (1982) 199: Why the hell don’t you stay home and not go spoiling everybody’s evening? | |
| (con. 1917–19) Nineteen Nineteen in USA (1966) 603: If they’re going to have a riot, why the hell can’t they have it in time to make the cables. | |
| Gentlemen of the Broad Arrows 99: How the hell am I to do that? | |
| Really the Blues 8: I kept wondering how the hell I was going to get out of this mess. | |
| Amboy Dukes 32: Frank wondered why the hell he had to be a member of the Amboy Dukes. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Jimmy Brockett 199: Why the hell do you think I come to you? | |
| Crazy Kill 22: Why the hell didn’t you call the police? | |
| Last Exit to Brooklyn 257: Why the hell didnt she dress the kid before she left. | |
| All Night Stand 20: Wondering how the hell we were going to get rid of these chicks. | |
| Street Players 10: How in the hell are you goin’ find out who’s catchin’ what and how? | |
| ‘You Need Hands’ in Minder [TV script] 33: How the hell did you find me here? | |
| Glitter Dome (1982) 91: I’ll [...] go to the Himalayas, and worship some Chinese guru in Katmandu or wherever the hell. | |
| Bonfire of the Vanities 15: Why the hell didn’t the doorman get back in the building where he belonged? | |
| Fixx 264: Why the hell not? | |
| Lucky You 13: I mean, why the hell not? |
2. a general intensifier to express anger, annoyance, impatience, also (ironically) disbelief or contempt, used to dismiss another speaker’s assertion; note also the hell with...! under hell n.
| Chronicles of Pineville 32: ‘I’s another chick to Bill Sweeny!’ ‘The h-ll you is!’. | |
| Forty Years a Gambler 202: ‘I got off and walked back.’ ‘The h—l you did!’ says I. | |
| Maggie, a Girl of the Streets (2001) 20: ‘Deh hell,’ I says. Like dat! ‘Deh hell.’. | |
| You Can Search Me 65: ‘The hell I will!’ spluttered Bunch. Then he got red in the face. | |
| My Lady of the Chimney Corner 135: T’ h--l wi’ Hughie! | |
| Three Soldiers 213: ‘They’re going to move me out o’ here to a t.b. ward tomorrow.’ ‘The hell they are!’. | |
| (con. 1900s–10s) 42nd Parallel in USA (1966) 100: The hell I was, Fred, I had a couple of drinks, but Jesus... | |
![[Can]](/static/img/flags/can.png "Canada") | Whiteoak Heritage (1949) 96: ‘I can’t imagine you swearing in this outfit.’ ‘The hell you cant!’ she exclaimed, incredulously. | |
| Parm Me 144: Let’s blackball him the hell outta —. | |
| Corruption City 38: ‘The hell it is,’ Harrigan said. | |
| Alcoholics (1993) 6: ‘I don’t like to mention it, Doctor, but —’ ‘The hell you don’t!’. | |
| Imabelle 57: The hell it wasn’t you. | |
| Rally Round the Flag, Boys! (1959) 16: The hell you say! | |
| Rage in Harlem (1969) 58: [as 1957]. | |
| Nova Apr. 92: ‘The hell,’ Rabbit says. ‘You stick right with us and suffer for once.’. | |
| Skin Tight 23: Metro calls the Bureau and says you made a mistake and they say the hell we did. | |
| Lucky You 7: The hell you say! | |
| Skull Session 454: ‘It’s my job. I get paid for it.’ ‘The hell it is. You’ve been basically told hands off by your supervisor.’. |
3. (also hell) a general intensifer implying quantity, intensity.
| Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 14 Jan. 2/1: Lo Loo, of West 79th street, is under arrest for threatening to ‘blowee hellee’ out of a mob of teasing boys. | |
| Maggie, a Girl of the Streets (2001) 12: I’ll club hell outa yeh when I ketch yeh. | |
| (con. 1916) Her Privates We (1986) 85: I am in the hell of a bloody funk, sometime. | |
| Sudden 61: If yu don’t watch yore steps I’ll shake shinin’ hell outa yu. | |
| Awake and Sing! Act III: When they grew up they beat it the hell away like rabbits. | |
| Pal Joey 13: She [...] would personally spit in my eye and knock me the hell off the stand. | |
| Dust Tracks On a Road (1995) 587: Lam hell out of ’em with the first lick and keep on lamming. | |
| Duke 135: I slapped the fight out of her and then slapped hell out of her. | |
| (con. 1936–46) Winged Seeds (1984) 285: They’re fine lads [...] Reckon they’re rarin’ to blast the hell out of the Japs. | |
| (con. 1948) Flee the Angry Strangers 409: Shut the hell up! | |
| Criminal (1993) 93: I’m slapping hell out of a client. | |
| Madball (2019) 36: Jesse had bawled the holy hell out of him. | |
| Slam the Big Door (1961) 85: I’d sent Birdy the hell away. | |
| Stand On It (1979) 235: I brought the wheel around again and then really zapped the hell out of it. | |
| Flesh and Blood (1978) 89: ‘I missed you,’ she says. ‘I missed hell out of you.’. | |
| Skin Tight 138: I’ll see that Mr Stranahan sues the living hell out of both of you. | |
| Pulp Fiction [film script] 58: Get her the hell outta here! | |
 | posting at EQBeastLord.com 21 Nov. 🌐 Hehe I did that one day hunting in CT, pre-PoP, 45 secs later we were up to our elbows in lizards. Wiped the hell out of us. | |
| Crooked Little Vein 4: It was time to leave the office [...] and give the hell up. | |
| Whiplash River [ebook] ‘Shut the hell up. You’ve got exactly one minute to get out of here and never come back’. | |
| Joey Piss Pot 26: [T]he only thing everybody on the streets wanted was to stay the hell away from where Montalvo had ended up. |
In phrases
to surpass, to exceed in expectation, to surprise; often as if this don’t beat hell, don’t that beat hell.
| Pete Wetstone Letters’ in Cavorting on Devil’s Fork (1979) 74: Well now, the lawyer beats hell amazingly. All that stuff about the banks is lies . | |
| ‘How Sally Hooter Got Snake-Bit’ in Polly Peablossom’s Wedding 68: Cracky! it’s worse nor er young earthquake – beats h-ll! | |
| Saddle and Mocassin 123: The Apaches were out to beat hell. | |
| Sel. Letters Jan–Feb. (1988) 206: Apaches charged gallantly – infantry got a Foot – shot em up to beat hell. | |
| Mirror of Life 10 Feb. 14/4: [He] gazed on the couple and muttered: ‘Well, that does beat hell!’. | |
| Bar-20 131: Well, don’t that beat hell? | |
| Lonely Plough (1931) 107: ‘It’ll beat hell!’ he said. | |
| (con. WW1) Patrol 39: ‘It beats hell! [...] How in the name o’ — ’. | |
| Law O’ The Lariat 81: Well, if that don’t beat hell. | |
| Raiders of the Rimrock 66: Well, don’t that beat hell. | |
| Blood and Thirsty (1952) 103: ‘Run to beat hell,’ I commanded. | |
| letter 18 Nov. Proud Highway (1997) 414: I think road-running beats hell out of regular hunting. | |
| Stand On It (1979) 148: The rest of them came howling up, fishtailing to beat hell. | |
| (con. 1969) Grunts 160: She’s got these bitches around here beat all to hell. | |
| ‘The Open Book’ in Whorehouse Bells Were Ringing (1995) 111: It surely beats hell, but it’s easy to tell where each learned to tighten his reins. | |
| (con. 1776) Rabble in Arms 246: It certainly beats hell the way these fellers blame everything in the world on Arnold. | |
| Moon in Deep Winter 12: Sure beats hell outa hauling cherry tomatoes up and down the goddamn state. |
1. (orig. US, also beat the holy hell.., ...the living hell... ) to beat severely; note also individual vars. in cits. at sense 3
| Manhattan Transfer 96: We’ll beat hell outa both of ye. | |
| (con. 1905–25) Professional Thief (1956) 129: You can get any case fixed in court, but first you get hell beat out of you in the basement. | |
| News of the World 11 June 5: We beat the hell out of the best German troops they could throw in to stop us. | |
| Catcher in the Rye (1958) 16: He put my goddam paper down then and looked at me like he’d just beaten hell out of me in ping-pong. | |
| Sweet Thursday (1955) 76: I’m going to beat the holy hell out of you. | |
| Slam the Big Door (1961) 103: Most people come here act a little trembly, like I’d bite hell out of them. [Ibid.] 182: I wanted to pick him up [...] and beat the living hell out of him. | |
| (con. 1920s) Burglar to the Nobility 89: There was a screw called Sampson who was a bully. He [...] delighted in beating hell out of lags who were too [...] scared to give him a bit for himself. | |
| Digger’s Game (1981) 62: Beat the hell out of the car. | |
| Skin Tight 265: He must’ve beat the hell out of her for something. | |
| Have Gun 6: If the Bloods [...] decided they didn’t want to beat the hell out of you. | |
| No-How Coaching 54: And that means I don't want a guy that beats the holy hell out of somebody. |
2. to do something to excess.
| Cogan’s Trade (1975) 8: You’re in, you’re on pills. [...] You were beating the hell out of them yellowjackets. |
3. (orig. US) to amaze, to confound.
| After Hours 52: Beats the hell out of me. | |
| Tourist Season (1987) 36: ‘Why all the trouble?’ Garcia said, ‘Beats the hell out of me.’. | |
| Morning Star 46: Beats hell outta me [...] I mean, I’m drivin' along, and all of a sudden, bingo! Everything just shuts down, like magic. |
the fundamental problem.
| West Broadway 107: ‘The hellovit is we haven't time to lay off until the world dries up’. | |
| If He Hollers 139: And the hell of it was he could make a weak-minded chump fall for ’em [i.e. specious arguments]. | |
| Kept 118: Right then [...] I could be sleeping with a better-looking woman than the one I was staring at [...] And the hell of it was, the first woman who came to mind was Elaine Rice. |
(orig. US) to beat up thoroughly, to defeat or destroy.
| Little Caesar (1932) 77: If we miss him I’ll kick hell out of Blackie. | |
| Battle Cry (1964) 56: He swears he’s going to kick the hell out of Beller. | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | (con. 1940s) Borstal Boy 177: ’E’d kick hell out of us too. | |
| Scene (1996) 52: You call me somethin like that again and I’m gonna kick the hell out of you. | |
| Addict in the Street (1966) 213: We went back and we got the heck kicked out of us. | |
| Gumshoe (1998) 60: Nothing to do but watch the television and let their kids kick hell out of the telephone boxes and bus shelters. | |
| Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 99: A group of black youths [...] were kicking the hell out of a turbanned Pakki. | |
| in Young & Homeless in Hollywood 111: Where we would kick the hell out of somebody because they gave us shit, they would just kick the hell out of somebody to kick the hell out of somebody. | |
| World of Sharks 34: He would still come around, kick the hell out of her, and dare her to call the cops. | |
| Jacky 255: She could kick the hell out of a half a dozen guys like Jim and Bob. I've seen her in action before. |
(orig. US) to beat severely, to destroy comprehensively.
| N.Y. Clipper 30 July 2/7: [S]inging out, ‘here, you, hurry with my supper, or I'll knock h—l out o’ you’. | |
| diary 21 Oct. in Gosnell Before the Mast (1989) 272: He’d knock h-ll out of any g-d d-n-d man in the ship if they did so. | |
| ‘Mulvaney & O’Flanagan’ Donnybrook-Fair Comic Songster 54: Wouldn’t I make a football of his cranium? / Out of his black skin I’d knock blazes. | |
| Cases in N.Y. State Supreme Court 9 480: He told her he would knock the brains out of her damned head— would knock her head off; and he struck her with his fist on the side of the head. The justice ordered him to desist. The plaintiff said he would knock hell out of her;. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 9 May 5/3: I wint before the Boord, and the Boord said to me, ‘Brasser, we’ll let ye aff this time, but the next time ye come here agin, we’ll knock hell’s blazes out of ye’ . | |
| Inland Printer 9 318: Jack said he bet that feller would knock hell out of the page, if he locked it up. | |
| in Schaaf Mr Dooley’s Chicago (1977) 49: All th’ good I ever knew thim for was to make janitors an’ knock blazes out iv Danny O’Brien and Philly Furlong. | |
| Pitcher in Paradise 39: Frank Patrick Slavin knocked [...] seventeen distinct and different kinds of Hell out of ex-champion Jem Smith. | |
| Watch Yourself Go By 23: Ef ye had my spunk, ye’d hev knocked hell’s delight out of some of ’em. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 5 Dec. 16/3: I’d got the bleedin’ John against the bar, and was knockin’ ’ell outer ’im, and when I got ’im down – when I got ’im down, mind yer! – not one of ’em had the bleedin’ pluck ter put the boot inter ’im! | |
| Main Stem 14: I thought they were going to knock hell out of us. [Ibid.] 95: Let’s see if we can find the stiff who had the hell knocked out of him. | |
| ‘Popeye’ Thimble Theatre series No. 2 n.p.: You’d get the heck knocked outta you. | |
| Prison Days and Nights 30: I’ll have to knock hell out of that record. | |
| There Ain’t No Justice 250: Feed her well, take her along and show her a couple of real men knocking the hell out of each other and then, oh boy, was she good when you tumbled her? | |
| (con. 1890s) Pictures in the Hallway 80: What’r you doin’ here [...] me oul’-fashioned, cocky little kidger, with your ears open to catch any language that’ll help to knock hell outa all decency in later life? | |
| Derby Dly Teleg. 24 July 5/4: We were making Lancasters and other heavy bombers to knock hell out of Germany. | |
| Jimmy Brockett 234: It’s tough, driving a car at a funeral. I was glad I hadn’t decided to go. It would have knocked hell out of the Daimler. | |
| Monkey On My Back (1954) 78: If they don’t find one, maybe they pick up some other kid and knock the hell out of him. | |
| Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 215: When you staggle out the door you wobble in your knees, / and you wanna knock hell out a everybody you sees: / boy, you high. | |
| Giveadamn Brown (1997) 96: ‘You make with apologies and I’ll knock the livin’ hell outa you!’. | |
| Union Street 191: He was a right bugger with his wife and bairns, knocked hell out of ’em. | |
| Now You Know 58: She’s breaking them up into little pieces. Really knocking hell out of them. | |
| Trouble with Valentine’s Day 126: He can’t wait to knock the hell out of the trout population this summer. |
(orig. US) to beat up thoroughly, to defeat or destroy.
| (con. 1861) Kansas Misc. 38: Blunt said this would be done as soon as the fight was on, and then they both agreed, and repeated it several times, in a reassuring way, that we would ‘pound hell out of ’em this time’. | |
| (con. 1910s) Young Lonigan in Studs Lonigan (1936) 71: Sometimes he will get the livin’ hell pounded out of him. | |
| I Can Get It For You Wholesale 48: They still had the scabs on the ground and were pasting hell out of them. | |
![[NZ]](/static/img/flags/nz.png "New Zealand") | Gun in My Hand 157: After five hundred heavies had finished pounding hell out of it. |
1. to defeat comprehensively; to beat.
| (con. c.1910s) Big Jim Turner 50: It rips hell out of my nerves, Jim. | |
| I Have What You Want 104: Let them rip the hell out of each other for all I cared. |
2. to tell off, to reprimand.
| Jimmy Brockett 232: Bob had persuaded me up to now to go easy, but I wasn’t holding off much longer, by hang! I was going to get stuck into the lot of them and rip hell out of them. |
3. to tease unmercifully.
| Powder 148: We’ll all get absolutely blasted and rip the hell out of every other group in Liverpool. |