What in Sam Hill?
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
An emphatic but softened way to ask what, who, where, or how in the world. Dated, comic, and mildly emphatic Regional use: United States and Canada.
Origin
Sam Hill is a North American euphemism for hell or the devil, common enough by an 1830 Rhode Island newspaper joke to require explanation. It most likely remodels hell as a harmless personal name, comparable with Old Nick or Scratch. A proposed connection to the demon Samiel in an opera first staged in America in 1825 is possible by date but less direct and unproven.
Variants
- what the Sam Hill
- who in Sam Hill
- how in Sam Hill
- like Sam Hill
Usage Examples
- What in Sam Hill is making that noise inside the chimney?
- How in Sam Hill did the wheelbarrow end up on the roof?
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