Sam Hill (euphemism)

The etymology for Sam Hill as a euphemisim is uncertain; however it first appeared regularly in print in Seattle, America around 1926. References were made in both the "Seattle Times" newspaper and Time Magazine to the Hill family consisting of James J. Hill (Jim Hill), his daughter Mary and her husband the millionaire Samuel Hill. The references were to their family's schemes, ideas or lavish ways to spend their money.

Most references to the family and their activities were of a derogatory nature playing on rhyming and referencing Sam Hill as a polite slang alternative to using "Hell" (as in, "What in the Sam Hill is that?") or sometimes for the devil.cite web| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,722312,00.html |title=Sam Hill |author=TIME Magazine |work=@ Time Archives |accessdate=2008-09-10 |date=1926-08-16]

Jim Hill was the legendary "empire builder", whose railroads included the Great Northern Railway (U.S.). He was a man given to notable rages when anyone dared to oppose one of his grandiose schemes. So frequent were these tirades that the paper carried as a standing headline: "Jim Hill is as mad as Sam Hill." Continuing the theme for lavish schemes Samuel Hill, his Son-in-Law spent his millions on Maryhill, an estate on the Columbia River which he built "just to entertain a king or queen in"; vistors included Marie the Queen of Rumania in September 1926.

However, this Hill family of Seattle are not the only ones referenced in this way; other published usages include "go like Sam Hill" or "run like Sam Hill" - in reference to Colonel Samuel Hill of Guilford, Connecticut who perpetually ran for office in the late 19th Century.cite web| url=http://www.samhill.co.uk/who.htm |title=Who or What is Sam Hill? |author=Sam Hill |work=@ samhill.co.uk |accessdate=2007-07-02 |date=2004-08-01] However, he was apparently so unsuccessful that except for a brief mention in the Encyclopedia of American Politics, 1946 edition, there is scarce evidence that he existed.cite web| url=http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-sam1.htm |title=World Wide Words: Sam Hill |author=Michael Quinion |work=World Wide Words |accessdate=2007-06-26 |date=2004-11-06]

Another explanation links the phrase to Sam Hill, an Abenaki Indian basket maker who lived near Saratoga Springs, New York in the early 19th century, known for the baskets he sold to tourists and for his disheveled appearance.cite book| last=Bruchac |first=Joseph |authorlink=Joseph Bruchac| title= [http://www.leeandlow.com/books/bowman.html Bowman's Store] |publisher= [http://www.leeandlow.com/home/index.html Lee & Low Books] |year=2001]

Others have suggested that the "Sam" in the phrase derives from Samiel, the name of the Devil in "Der Freischütz", an opera by Carl Maria von Weber that was performed in New York in 1825.cite book| last=Mencken |first=H. L. |authorlink=H. L. Mencken| title=The American Language |edition=4th edition |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |year=1936]

Alternatively, the expression may simply be derived from a bowdlerization or alliteration of "hell" with "hill" when used in 19th century America by frontiersmen, especially when they needed to clean up their language in the presence of ladies.cite book |title=The New Dictionary of American Slang |author=Various |date=1900]

The "Oxford English Dictionary" indicates that the origin is unknown. However, ultimately, which ever origin for the phrase is taken the consensus from all the different sources appears to be that the phrase originated around the turn of the 20th Century in America and is used as an expresssion of bewilderment at failure or ridiculousness. Which seems to be how the phrase has continued to be used to this day via appearances in books, magazines and television programmes.

The alternate history webcomic "Roswell, Texas" refers to "Sam Hill" as being a Texican monument (in the story's continuity, the Republic of Texas did not join the United States, but remained a nation unto itself) similar to Mount Rushmore, but bearing the faces of four Texas heroes named 'Sam': Sam Houston, Sam Walker, Sam Colt and Sam Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain.

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