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As hard as the hobs of hell

Posted by Smokey Stover on October 16, 2007

In Reply to: As hard as the hobs of hell posted by C Jowett on October 16, 2007

: I have heard s saying oft quoted in my family (which is based in Ireland):

: 'As hard as the hobs of hell'

: Of course it could be likely that this is a perversion of another saying.

By another saying, are you thinking of "hot as the hinges of Hades"? It would make a little more sense to me if the saying quoted in your family were, "Hot as the hobs of hell." Hobs (or hubs) were surfaces in a fireplace or on a stove where things could be set in order to get warm or stay warm. They were hard, of course, since they were used as supports. But how hard does hard have to be for this purpose?
SS

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