the hell you say

English

Pronunciation

  • Audio (General Australian):(file)

Phrase

the hell you say(idiomatic)

  1. I vehemently disagree with you; I will not obey you.
    • 1901, Charles W. Chesnutt, chapter 5, in The Marrow of Tradition:
      "The hell you say!" rejoined McBane. "I'll leave this car when I get good and ready, and that won't be till I've finished this cigar. See?"
    • 1919, Zane Grey, chapter 15, in The Desert of Wheat:
      "The hell you say!" ejaculated the man, in amazement. "This Glidden is a German agent—perhaps a spy. He's no labor leader."
    • 1983 June 13, Terence Smith, “Kissinger role in '68 race stirs conflicting views”, in New York Times, retrieved 10 October 2017:
      "The hell you say," Mr. Brzezinski replied indignantly, according to Mr. Allen, "Henry was working for our side."
    • 2013, Robert Vaughan, When Hell Came to Texas‎[1], →ISBN:
      "The hell you say! Mister, I was appointed to the position by the city council! . . . I am a public servant, and you have no authority over me."
  2. What you are saying is unbelievable; it cannot be true.
    1. (ironic) Indicates lack of surprise.
      Head office brought in all those new policies without consulting anyone and now people are upset and nothing is working right? The hell you say!

See also

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