on earth

See also: on Earth

English

Expletive used for emphasis after an interrogative word.
- 1992 April 26, "Hot Off the Press" 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.
Why on earth did that comet come by so soon?

(intensifier): For semantic relationships of this term, see the dickens in the Thesaurus.

expletive giving emphasis after interrogative word

Catalan: dimonis (ca), diables (ca)
Danish: i alverden
Dutch: in vredesnaam, in hemelsnaam, in godsnaam
Finnish: ihme (fi), kumma (fi)
French: diable (fr), donc (fr)
German: in Gottes Namen (de), in Herrgotts Namen, in aller Welt, um alles in der Welt, um Himmels willen

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