what the Devil

English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English what þe devel, what devel.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (General Australian):(file)

Interjection

what the Devil?

  1. (idiomatic) Used to add emphasis to “what” when beginning a question.
    What the Devil have you done to the horse?
    • c. 1515–1516, John Skelton, Magnyfycence; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC, page 166, line 922:
      What the devyll hast thou on thy fyste? An owle?

Synonyms

Translations

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