Funny as Hell? Sexy as Hell?

I'm often using phrases, as do we all, that I don't stop & think, "what is it I am saying?" For example, I often use the phrases "sexy as hell" and "funny as hell". Obviously if taken literally, nothing is LESS sexy or funny than HELL. So how did these idioms get into common usage?


After spending hours researching the origins of these phrases, the most I could come up with was a reference to gallows humor. What really seems odd is that as large as the internet is, there's not ONE web site that lists this phrase with its actual origins! Isn't this supposed to be the digital age of finding any answer online within seconds? Apparently not when it comes to the English language. I feel for the English as Second Language folks trying to understand half of what we say when we use cliches, idioms & phrases without thought for their meanings or origins.


The phrase "funny as hell", when hell is often considered a serious term, comes from what is commonly called gallows humor.  While many consider hell to be a serious subject, the phrase "gallows humor" refers to police, firemen & other such personnel using humor in morbid situations, such as morgue workers & police around dead bodies for example, to release some of the tensions of their job, to keep from becoming burnt out, depressed or crazy over what they must see & deal with on a daily basis. 


The closest I could get to a real definition, which as you can see isn't very close to "funny as hell" at all, was this:


gallows humor: Definition from Answers.com

n. Humorous treatment of a grave or dire situation: "conveying with gallows humor the utter insanity of the nuclear-arms race" (New York).

www.answers.com/topic/gallows-humor

Interestingly, in a somewhat related thread of thought, the phrase "going to hell in a hand basket" is traced back to the actual gallows when decapitation via guillotine was common, with movies often showing the heads falling into a basket. Wallah, going to hell in a hand basket. [You try finding anything more definitive!].  

I probably won't be using these phrases again now that I've found myself noticing how often I've used them and questioning their meaning. Often the things I've described as "funny as hell" or "sexy as hell" are in no way related to the gallows humor of the idiom's foundation. For those interested in words & language--a dictionary geek like me (I used to read the dictionary & reference books for FUN) perhaps?--I will include the actual definitions of hell from the most used dictionary (and the one I own, go to & READ most often), pasted in below. Now, isn't this just as interesting as hell?


Gina Jordan AKA awolgina
11-19-2011

Merriam Webster defines Hell as:

Definition of HELL

1

a (1) : a nether world in which the dead continue to exist :hades (2) : the nether realm of the devil and the demons in which the damned suffer everlasting punishment —often used in curses <go to hell> or as a generalized term of abuse<the hell with it>b Christian Science : error 2b, sin

2

a : a place or state of misery, torment, or wickedness <war is hell — W. T. Sherman>b : a place or state of turmoil or destruction <all hell broke loose>c : a severe scolding; also : flak, grief <gave me hell for coming in late>d : unrestrained fun or sportiveness <the kids were full ofhell> —often used in the phrase for the hell of it especially to suggest action on impulse or without a serious motive<decided to go for the hell of it>e : an extremely unpleasant and often inescapable situation<rush-hour hell>

3

archaic : a tailor's receptacle

4

—used as an interjection <hell, I don't know!> or as an intensive <hurts like hell> <funny as hell> ; often used in the phrase hell of a <it was one hell of a good fight> or hell out of <scared the hell out of him> or with the or in <moved way the hell up north> <what in hell is wrong, now?>

— from hell

: being the worst or most dreadful of its kind

— hell on

: very hard on or destructive to <the constant traveling ishell on your digestive system>

— hell or high water

: difficulties of whatever kind or size <will stand by her convictions come hell or high water>

— hell to pay

: dire consequences <if he's late there'll be hell to pay>

— what the hell

—used interjectionally to express a lack of concern about consequences or risks <it might cost him half his estate … but what the hell — N. W. Aldrich b1935>

 See hell defined for English-language learners »

See hell defined for kids »

Examples of HELL

1. Getting the loan approved was pure hell.
2. He went through hell during his divorce.
3. She had to go through hell to get where she is today.
4. Living with the disease can be a hell on earth.
5. The pain has made her life a living hell.

Origin of HELL

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old English helan to conceal, Old High German helan, Latin celare, Greekkalyptein

First Known Use: before 12th century

Looking for more funny as hell? Here's a FB page I found via Google search. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Funny-as-Hell/183795661665884

Review of Taboo (Culture Shocks) S1E1

Review of Taboo National Geographic Documentary
(Culture Shocks) S1E1
There are two seasons, with 13 episodes & each episode is 47 minutes long; this is for S1E1--Tattoos
Rated 5 of 5 stars.

Anthropologists seek out special tattoos symbolizing head hunters or killers who have removed the head, but such people are hard to find so many years after the last known head hunting tribe was active (1940-60 or so). One old man is finally found but does not bear the tell tale symbols due to being too young at the time of the killing to safely receive the markings (in their cultural beliefs, to have tattooed him before his manhood ritual would be to cause illness on him and the tattooist).

The name, tattoo, comes from the sound of the sticks being tapped together with one long stick having a sharp needle on it's end, and another stick held perpendicular to it & tapped onto the top of the one with a needle, to make the designs with black ink. Pain is seen as a strengthening of the body & soul, as a ritual for children & boys into adulthood or other milestones of life. Traditional tattoo artists that practice the tribal art, are hard to find, it is a dying culture with those coming from the tribes being embarrassed to be identified as coming from the "woods", longhouses & traditional tribal villages, for they are seen as poor & less educated.

In this episode the tribal uses of scarification are also featured prominently, and I must admit to having to look away as razor sharp cuts by the hundreds are made into both a young boy for his transition to manhood, and to a baby as his mother holds him down, so that the baby will be accepted into their village & not become outcast. They are not allowed to express or show the pain, for that would mean they are not worthy of receiving the marks, or of transitioning into the next step of their life. Because these people have dark skin, tattoos do not show on them, so their culture has substituted scarification instead. All of the village members MUST be scarified, or outcast, never belonging or being accepted. This show goes into great detail on these beliefs, without judging those who practice them, and examines both the morals & ethics of a non-tribal society's view as well as their view of us.

Lastly they cover a tattoo convention in Finland, where for once the tattooed feel they belong, are not judged by society, are not in the minority. Many of those featured speak of being addicted to the tattoo process, or to the pain and the endorphin rushes they receive from facing the pain. On the extreme side are those who provide entertainment at the convention by being suspended from hooks placed in strategic areas of their skin, such as behind the knees, the shoulder blades & lower back, then being hung & swung in circles, to which they receive audience reactions & energy in addition to the endorphin highs their actions bring. [Very similar to the coverage shown in both Modify & Flesh & Blood documentaries on suspension].

All perspectives are examined in turn, questions answered, curiosities satisfied, all without judgement of the participants--which I find very refreshing in this documentary series. One part hard to forget is the man who has tattooed 80% of his body--in his own estimation--with only his hands & face left unmarked. He stated he can NOT stop, he must continue tattooing the rest. My question, which was NOT answered is this, what happens when that 20% is done, what will he do after that, when there is no skin left to ink? Has he even considered that question himself?

Briefly, piercing was also covered but was not in any way the focus of any part of this episode, probably because in later shows it will be covered in much detail. The audio & video were superb & I'd highly recommend this series to anyone interested in various cultural taboos, and within the 2 seasons of episodes, EVERY taboo IS brought into the lime light in the same ways as this episode was, without judgement, and fairly full coverage of all sides or perspectives. I give this a 5 of 5 stars.

How We've Changed--Readers Digest Sept. 2011 issue article

How We've Changed--Readers Digest Sept. 2011 issue article


I was reading this article recently & the part about the privacy changes & lack of freedom we accept as standard nowadays is chilling! Give this full article a read. Below I have pasted in an excerpt of the 1st section titled: We Have Accepted Less privacy! Scary stuff....http://www.rd.com/family/how-we%E2%80%99ve-changed-911-ten-years-later/

We have accepted less privacy.

Perhaps the most visible intrusions on privacy are the full-body scanners now being rolled out at airports around the country, although about two thirds of Americans say they’re willing to put up with such personal impositions to prevent terrorism.

Other infringements upon this fundamental American privilege are less apparent. Shortly after 9/11, Congress passed the Patriot Act, which expanded federal officials’ powers to keep tabs on our personal information, from credit card use to cell phone calls to car travel. Today, 3,984 federal, state, and local organizations take part in domestic counterterrorism efforts; the National Security Agency alone has about 30,000 people eavesdropping on 1.7 billion intercepted e-mails and other communications every day. In June, the FBI gave significant new powers to its 14,000 agents to search databases, screen household trash, and use stakeout teams to investigate “persons of interest.”

The upside: greater law enforcement success. Five billion mobile phones are now in use around the world, and 95 percent of users keep their phone within a yard of themselves at all times. “That’s the same as saying the location of 95 percent of these people can be determined anytime,” says Fred Cate, director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at Indiana University. “Ten years ago, law enforcement would put a tail on someone; today, they call the cell phone company.”

Financial institutions are also huge repositories of easily traceable, and accessible, data: Emboldened by the expanded guidelines, the Treasury Department has subpoenaed records of millions of financial transactions. “We can match up money to find organized-crime financing much easier, and it works all the time,” Cate says.

But are we really safer? According to the Breakthrough Institute, a public-policy think tank, only two plots against the United States have been foiled because of the increased snooping allowed by the Patriot Act. Dozens of others, the report concluded, “were broken open due to the combination of well-deployed undercover agents, information from citizen or undercover informants, and tips from foreign intelligence agencies” — in other words, old-fashioned gumshoe work.