As hot as buggery

Posted by Smokey Stover on March 24, 2009 at 13:18

In Reply to: As hot as buggery posted by Victoria S Dennis on March 23, 2009 at 19:12:

: : : Sometimes you use a term so commonly, you don't even think about it....

: : : The Aussie term "Hot as buggery" is one of those. Any time you ask someone what it's like outside on a summer's day - the most common response is "hot as buggery"...

: : : It is only today that I thought to myself "Why is buggery so hot?"...

: : : If anyone has any idea as to the origins of this term I'd love to hear it...

: : : It reeks of convict origin, but then again it may be a more recent term. Either way I'd love to hear any theories...

: : [The way I hear it (USA, midwestern, mostly urban), on a cold day you can be freezing like a muh-fuh; then on a hot day you can be sweating like a muh-fuh. You can stand there like a muh-fuh, but if I get my gun you'll run like a muh-fuh. Here in the US 'bugger' and 'buggery' are not common terms; if they were they might serve this turn. What any of it means - not much. It's emotive - profane for profanity's sake - a social bonding signal or status marker; a simple pleasure; a vicious habit. - Bac.]

: I have also heard "hotter than a bastard", also meaningless in itself. Could it be that people originally started by saying "hot as hell" which actually makes sense, and over the years forgot that it was a real metaphor and only thought of "hell" as a mild swearword? In which case there would be no reason not to substitute any other swearword that took your fancy. (VSD)

Hot as all getout used to be a common phrase. Like the others, I guess the simile was as meaningful as all getout.
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