Etymology Journal ยท W
What in the blue blazes?
Meaning
- A high-energy exclamation of surprise or annoyance. It adds a bit more intensity than a standard 'what is going on' and implies something is chaotic.
Exasperated, theatrical
Used in a sentence
- What in the blue blazes is going on with this television?
- What in the blue blazes did you do to the carpet?
- I arrived at the office to find the lights out. What in the blue blazes?
The backstory
It likely draws on the image of blue-colored fire, representing a heat or intensity that is unusual. It has long been a staple of dramatic, cleaned-up storytelling.
Heard in
Midwest, The South
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