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Sam Hill is an American English slang phrase, a euphemism or minced oath for "the devil " or "hell" personified (as in, "What in the Sam Hill is that?").
Feb 6, 2022 · “Sam Hill” is used because “Hill” sounds like “hell,” not because of anything some guy named Sam Hill did, which is why the identity of the original—if there even is one—doesn’t really matter.
Sam Hill. Ever wondered who Sam Hill was and what he did so wrong to have elders yelling out his name all the time ("What in the Sam Hill are you talking about, boy?").
Feb 28, 2019 · In 1887, Samuel Ewing Hill, an adjutant general from Kentucky, was sent by Gov. Simon Bolivar Buckner governor to investigate the famous feud between the Hatfields and McCoys, which had already claimed more than a dozen lives. Reportedly, journalists wanted to know "what in the Sam Hill was going on up there." Read more here.
Oct 11, 2021 · Sam Hill is a North American euphemism for hell or the devil. The origin is not known for certain, but it is most likely just a variation on the word hell, with a bit of personification of the devil thrown in for good measure, ala the names Old Nick, Ned, or Scratch. The phrase seems to have arisen in the 1820s.
Sam Hill is a euphemism for hell. Often with the force of an exclamation. See examples for variations.) What in Sam Hill is going on around here? What in the Sam Hill do you think you are doing?
LONG ANSWER Watch enough westerns and you’re bound to hear some old timer utter the expression, “What in the Sam Hill is that!?”. It’s 19th-century slang for the ‘devil’ or ‘hell’, so the real Sam Hill must have been quite a character to merit the euphemism.
