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Andrei Posted 22 years ago
Grammar

Heck

What are doing?

What the heck are you doing?

What is the difference between the above quesitons?
  

Top answer

The first is quite factual and non-emotive. The second sounds as though you dont approve, or are worried about what the person is doing. It could well be soft form of taboo, based on "****" - but that is guess work only!

— Suzi

  • The first is quite factual and non-emotive.
  • The second sounds as though you dont approve, or are worried about what the person is doing.
  • It could well be soft form of taboo, based on "****" - but that is guess work only!
  • crikey - this software puts in the *** for you - so I hope you know what it means, the missing letter is "e", btw!
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3 Answers
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The first is quite factual and non-emotive.

The second sounds as though you dont approve, or are worried about what the person is doing. It could well be soft form of taboo, based on "****" - but that is guess work only!

crikey - this software puts in the *** for you - so I hope you know what it means, the missing letter is "e", btw!
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Crikey...

I like this expression
it's Australian, isn't it?
Are you from Down Under, suzi?
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I live in Stoke on Trent in England, a lot of northern dialects use it too!

According to one on-line etymology dic. it IS a version of "****" first recorded in 1860s
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