Hell’s bells

Origin of: Hell’s bells

Hell’s bells

This expression has been in use since the early 19th century and variously means at great speed as in to go like hell’s bells or sometimes used as a mild oath to express surprise. At various times, appendages were added like hell’s bells and buckets of blood (which is thought to be a naval variation) and hell’s bells and cockleshells, which are both from later during the 19th century. In America, hell’s bells and Liberty horses used to be a popular mild oath during the 19th century. The 1940s British expression go like the clappers (of hell) is a more modern development from clappers meaning bell clappers i.e. the bells of hell.