People began using the term “what in the Sam Hill is that?” to describe something they found odd or unusual, just like the inventory found in Sam Hill’s store. The original Sam Hill Mercantile building still stands on Montezuma Street in Prescott, Arizona, and is listed on the register of Historic Places.
What does the phrase Sam Hill mean?
Sam Ewing Hill | Hartford, Ky., Facebook page. Have you ever heard your uncle or grandmother say, “What in Sam Hill …?” It’s said in the same tone as “What in tarnation” or “What the H-E-double hockey sticks.” It’s a euphemism for “hell” or the devil.
Is Tarnation a swear?
This New Englandism has fallen out of use in New England, but is remembered for its colorfulness and is still used in the Southeastern United States as a minced oath, where ‘hell’ or ‘damn’ would otherwise be said, especially in the phrase “what in tarnation”.
What was Sam Hill famous for?
Samuel Hill (13 May 1857 – 26 February 1931), usually known as Sam Hill, was an American businessman, lawyer, railroad executive, and advocate of good roads. He substantially influenced the Pacific Northwest region’s economic development in the early 20th century.
Why do people say Tarnation?
character Yosemite Sam (e.g., “What in tarnation…?!”), the word “tarnation” was originally a 1784 American English derivative of “darnation,” which was, predictably enough, a milder way of expressing the profanity “damnation.” The “t” in tarnation was influenced by “tarnal,” yet another mild 18th century profanity
Is Tarnation a Southern word?
The internet tells me the early days of tarnation began in New England and over the years the word migrated south. Today, I’m told, you’re unlikely to hear many New Englanders using it. However, it is still in use in the South, making it a Southern word.
Is Bloody like the F word in England?
Bloody is an all-purpose intensifier that, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, once qualified as the strongest expletive available in just about every English-speaking nation except the United States.
How do you swear in the South?
The Darn/Dangs:
- “ Dang it”
- “ Damage”
- “ Dad Blast It”
- “ Dagnabbit”
- “ Dadgummit” (A Southern favorite) The 4-letter “S word” substitutes:
- “ Crap”
- “ Crapola”
- “ Crud”
What is the heck euphemism?
“Heck” is, of course, a euphemism for “hell.” Case in point — a movie theater in Tennessee recently changed the title of “Hellboy” to “Heckboy” on its sign, because of the theater’s close proximity to an elementary school. Marquees aside, we were surprised to learn that “heck” is one of the younger euphemisms.
Who first said Tarnation?
The first documented instance of “tarnation” was in Royall Tyler’s 1790 play Contrast, where the character Jonathan uses it three times (along with the word “tarnal”): “Why, such a tarnal cross tike you never saw!
What’s the story behind the Maryhill Museum?
In 1907, Samuel Hill purchased 5,300 acres of land along the Columbia River with the dream of establishing a Quaker farming community. He formed the Maryhill Land Company, named after his daughter, and set about building a town.
How did Sam Hill make his money?
Hill left the gas business in 1904. He successfully invested in the stock market, which helped fund his other enterprises. Hill wrote, “Where a man’s treasure is there will his heart also be” (Tuhy, 92). Hill’s work for the Great Northern made him an expert in the economics of transportation.
Why do people say gone south?
Deteriorate or decline, as in The stock market is headed south again. This expression is generally thought to allude to compasses and two-dimensional maps where north is up and south is down. However, among some Native Americans, the term was a euphemism for dying, and possibly this sense led to the present usage.
What does red the table mean?
clear the table
Q From Rand Lee: My mother descended in part from Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants. One expression that she used throughout my childhood was read the table (read being pronounced red), meaning clear the table after a meal.
Why do people say Dadgummit?
Dadgummit
The origin of “dadgummit” is rumored to be the hit television show “The Real McCoys,” which starred Walter Brennan as Grandpa Amos, for whom “dadgummit” became his epic, country-boy, redneck catchphrase.
What do southern people say when mad?
For instance, down south, “madder than a wet hen” means being angry, “over yonder” is a more poetic way of saying “over there,” and “bless your heart” can be both an insult and a way to show empathy.
Where did the term madder than a wet hen come from?
It’s actually an old farming phrase. When hens sit on eggs, they sometimes have periods of broodiness, when they get grumpy and aggressively protective of the eggs. Farmers would often dunk them in cold water to shock them out of that funk.
Why do people say Y all in the South?
Y’all arose as a contraction of you all. The term first appeared in print sporadically in the Southern United States in the early nineteenth century, though it seems to have remained uncommon throughout most of the South until several decades afterwards.
What is the most offensive word in England?
One of the greatest British swear words is bollocks. It means testicles, but it’s used in some wonderful ways, most often to exclaim when something has gone wrong: “The train’s delayed and we’re going to miss our flight.” “Bollocks!”
What is the C word in London?
In the UK, the c-word used as an insult just means “annoying, unpleasant person“. Its very rude, but doesn’t particularly have any gendered overtones.
Why do British people say mum?
What you are hearing is not mum as in mother, but ma’am, contraction of madam, with a strongly reduced vowel. In British English, it is mostly used as a sign of repect for a woman of superior rank, say, in the military or police.