helluva
(ˈhɛləvə)
Used freq. to represent ‘hell of a’. Cf. hell n. 4 d.
| 1910 C. E. Mulford Hopalong Cassidy xxvi. 176, I got money—helluva lot of money. 1934 E. Pound Eleven New Cantos xxxv. 24 It must be one helluva country. 1959 ‘H. Carmichael’ Stranglehold ii. 25 Be a helluva thing if I've left it just too late. 1959 ‘M. M. Kaye’ House of Shade ii. 26 It looks like saving you a helluva headache. 1967 Crescendo Dec. 33/1 Although she may not be as good a jazzer as Humph, she's certainly one helluva lot prettier. 1968 Times 23 Oct. 10/8 It's very unfortunate looking like him: he must have a helluva life. |