What is the origin of the phrase “Where in the Sam Hill”?
“Sam Hill” took the place of “hell” if a man felt the need to cuss in front of ladies. I don’t know what happened if ladies felt like cussing; surely at some point, the desire arose. There doesn’t seem to be any one Sam Hill to whom the phrase refers. From “Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins” by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997): SAM HILL – “If someone could locate any historical record of a Col. Samuel Hill of Guilford, Connecticut, we might find the origin of the phrase ‘go like Sam Hill’ or ‘run like Sam Hill.’ Edwin V. Mitchell makes mention of the man in the ‘Encyclopedia of American Politics’ (1946). It seems that Colonel Hill perpetually ran for office – but no other evidence of his existence can be found. Since no one knows ‘who in the Sam Hill’ he was, Sam Hill must remain ‘a personified euphemism our puritan ancestors used for Hell’.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From “Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins” by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, Ne
