on earth
(Redirected from what on earth)
See also: on Earth
English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Prepositional phrase
[edit]- Expletive used for emphasis after an interrogative word.
- 1895, Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest […] , [Act I]:
- Really, if the lower orders don’t set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them? They seem, as a class, to have absolutely no sense of moral responsibility.
- 1992 April 26, “Hot Off the Press”, in Jeeves and Wooster, Series 3, Episode 5:
- A. Fink-Nottle: But it's absolute balderdash, Bertie. I mean, listen to this: "Sure and begorrah, I don't know what's after being the matter with you, Michael." I mean, what on earth is this "what's after being" stuff mean?
B.W. Wooster: My dear old Gussie, that is how people think Irish people talk.
- 2013 October 31, Rowena Mason, quoting David Steel, “Lord Steel criticises culture of spin and tweeting in modern politics”, in The Guardian[1], →ISSN:
- How on earth are we supposed to hold our heads high as the 'mother of parliaments' when we allow to continue the practice of almost openly buying a seat in parliament?
Synonyms
[edit]- (intensifier): See Thesaurus:the dickens
Translations
[edit]expletive giving emphasis after interrogative word
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