Sam Hill (1832?)

[Laurence Horn]

>I can't tell whether your comment is facetious or not, Barry, but isn't Sam
>_Hall_ the labor guy? There was a story featuring (a folksong about) him in
>Astounding back in the '50's, IIRC.
>
>-Wilson

Yup.  Then there's "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night".  Maybe Sam
Hill is a blend of the two.

L

>
>On 12/21/05, Bapopik at aol.com <Bapopik at aol.com> wrote:
>>
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  -----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Bapopik at AOL.COM
>>  Subject:      Sam Hill (1832?)
>>
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>  What does OED, HDAS have? I think I just saw Sam Hill on strike  today.
>>  ...
>>  ...
>>  ...
>>  _A  JOCKIED FRENCHMAN._=20
>>  (
>>  http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=3D2&did=3D752121462&SrchMode=3D1&sid=
>>
>>
>>=3D1&Fmt=3D10&VInst=3DPROD&VType=3DPQD&RQT=3D309&VName=3DHNP&TS=3D1135202961=
>>  &c
>>  lientId=3D65882)=20
>>  Boston Masonic Mirror  (1830-1834). Boston: Jan 7, 1832. Vol. 3, Iss. 28;
>>  p.=
>>  =20
>>  221 (1 page)  :
>>  Sare, de gar, you be one grand rascalle--you lie like Sam--like
>>  Sam--vat  yo=
>>  u=20
>>  call the leetle mountain?"
>>  ...
>>  "Sam Hill, I suppose you mean."
>>  ...
>>  "Oui, Monsieur--Sam de Hill--yes, sar, you lie like two Sam Hill."
>>  ...
>>  ...
>>  ...
>>  (OED)
>>  Sam Hill
>>  N. Amer. slang.
>>  =20
>>  A euphemism for hell; used especially  in expressions of impatience or=20
>>  irritation preceded by in or the  with an interrogative word. =20
>>  1839  Havana (N.Y.) Republican 21 Aug.  1/4 What in sam hill is that
>>  feller=20
>>  ballin' about? 1868  _J. T.  TROWBRIDGE_=20
>>  (http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-t2.html#j-t-trowbridge)  Three
>>  Scou=
>>  ts vi. 26 When you  might a'married!why=20
>>  in Sam Hill didn't ye, then? 1894  _=E2=80=98MARK  TWAIN=E2=80=99_=20
>>  (http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-t2.html#mark-twain)  in St.
>>  Nichola=
>>  s Jan. 257/2 Hateful =20
>>  people..giving me Sam Hill because I shirked. 1909  N.Y. Even. Post. 10
>>  Apr.=
>>  (Sat.=20
>>  Suppl.) 3/5 How in Sam Hill can she do it? She's just as hot when she gets
>>  t=
>>  o =20
>>  bilin' p'int as she'll ever be. 1918  _M. E. FREEMAN_=20
>>  (http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-f2.html#m-e-freeman)  Edgewater
>>  Peo=
>>  ple 314 What in Sam  Hill=20
>>  made you treat him so durned mean fur? 1927  W. R. JAMES  Cow Country 77
>>  Wha=
>>  t=20
>>  the Sam Hill  do you think we are out here, servants? 1948  Salt Lake
>>  Tribun=
>>  e=20
>>  18 Dec. 10/7  He wondered who the Sam Hill the =E2=80=98senator=E2=80=99
>>  was=
>>  . 1962  _H. =20
>>  GREEN_ (http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-g2.html#h-green)  Time to
>>  pa=
>>  ss=20
>>  Over xii. 147 Why  in the samhill didn't you step in and stop them,
>>  Mike.  1=
>>  973 =20
>>  B. BROADFOOT Ten Lost Years xxiii. 262 He  probably never could have
>>  figured=
>>  =20
>>  what the Sam Hill was going  on.
>>
>
>
>
>--
>-Wilson Gray