the fuck

English

Etymology

Perhaps modelled after the hell, short for in the hell as in "What in the hell, ...".

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Phrase

(deprecated template usage) the fuck

1. (vulgar, slang) Used after interrogative pronouns as an intensifier to express anger, frustration, incredulity, or other strong emotion.
   • 2011 April 29, Tim Jonze, The Guardian:

     "Look at this!" she says, mock-appalled at the scene. "Seriously, what the fuck is this about?"

   • 2016 June 19, “Brexit” (00:14:33 from the start), in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver‎^[1], HBO, via HBO:

     Poland is depressing and there's vampires in Romania. Spain is far too hot and where the fuck is Lithuania?

2. (vulgar, slang) Used after verbs forming a part of a phrasal verb as an intensifier to imply aggressive emphasis.
   • 2004, Pun Plamondon, Lost from the Ottawa, page 84:

     “Get the fuck out of my house!” Sinclair bellowed, his face red, eyes bulging.

   • 2007, Ron Liebman, Death by Rodrigo, New York: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 134:

     Ponytail tells fat boy, Drive the fuck off, get us out of here. He keeps the window down, still death-staring, You mine, motherfucker, wait and see, at Mickie.

3. (vulgar, slang, by ellipsis) Used as a shortened form of the common interrogative phrases.

   The fuck was that?

   What the fuck was that?

   The fuck you think you are?!

   Who the fuck do you think you are?

   The fuck?

   (said incredulously; also as what the fuck?)

4. (vulgar, slang) Used to emphatically express that something isn't true.
   • 1997, Robert Stone, Dog Soldiers, page 88:

     ‘You're not a self-respecting person.’

     ‘The fuck I ain't,’ the kid said.

Synonyms

• (intensifier used after interrogative pronouns): See Thesaurus:the dickens

Derived terms

• dafuq (said incredulously and used for less serious situations)

Related terms

• what the fuck
• -fucking-

Translations

vulgar: intensifier used after interrogative pronouns

• Esperanto: diable (eo), damne (eo), feke
• Finnish: hitto (fi), vittu (fi)
• Georgian: ჩემი ფეხები (čemi pexebi), ჩემი ყლე (čemi q̇le)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: cazzo (it)
• Portuguese: Mas que raio
• Spanish: coño (es) m
• Swedish: i helvete (sv), fan (sv)

Anagrams

• fucketh