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HE-double-toothpick

HE-double-toothpick

9.9
A mild, playful word people use instead of saying hell
  • noun
  • Slang
translation icon : ¡qué demonios!
  • What the HE-double-toothpick is going on here?

Examples

  • My mom doesn't like swearing, so she always says HE-double-toothpick instead.

  • I can't believe I lost my keys, HE-double-toothpick!

  • Kids sometimes use HE-double-toothpick when they want to avoid getting in trouble for cursing.

  • What in HE-double-toothpick is going on here?

  • Kids sometimes say HE-double-toothpick instead of swearing when they are around adults.

  • When she stubbed her toe, she exclaimed, "What the HE-double-toothpick?!"

  • My grandfather playfully uses HE-double-toothpick when he gets frustrated instead of using bad language.

Synonyms

hell
vsHE-double-toothpick
581 2.1

A place after death where the dead are punished in some religions

is a playful euphemism used instead of that serious religious place name
heck
vsHE-double-toothpick
  • Informal
422 7.5

A small amount of care or worry about something

is more playful and jokey rather than just a mild polite exclamation
h-e-double hockey sticks
vsHE-double-toothpick
  • Informal
9.9

A mild, funny phrase people say instead of swearing when surprised or angry

is used more generally as a playful substitute rather than to show surprise

Surface Forms

Etymology

HE-double-toothpick is a playful way to say 'hell' without swearing. A helpful way to remember it is that double stands for 'two Ls' and toothpick stands in for 'sticks', so the phrase makes you think of the letters in 'hell'.