Style: Hell of a OR helluva?

[novelist_wannabe]

Hell of a. And I took some heat once. Quoted a high school coach that way, and he got calls from local clergy. He calls me, says its "helluva." Sorry coach. That's not a word, and there is no connotational difference.

 

[zeke12]

I'd argue there is a connotation difference.

But in a straight gamer, go with "hell of a".

Feature, or a reason to show the inflection, I don't have a problem with helluva.

 

[Moderator1]

Another option: a different phrase. Or paraphrase.
Does hell need to be in the paper?

 

[joe]

Another option: a different phrase. Or paraphrase.
Does hell need to be in the paper?

**** yeah it does. As do slow-pitch softball teams called "Destined for ****ing Mediocrity."

 

[spnited]

hell of a .... I'm with Moddy 100% on NEVER EVER EVER using helluva

 

[TyWebb]

It is a hell of a shock that this thread has breached two pages.

 

[MertWindu]

Had one of mine changed to "helluva" recently (maybe even "heluva" - ack). But I think it should definitely be "hell of a"

 

[SoSueMe]

Story ran tonight for tomorrow. Used heck of a.

It was part of the story, not a quote.

At the risk of outing myself to some of my Canuckistan colleagues, the story was about a player who has started the season incredibly hot. He credits it to his new tinted contacts which he said make him look "demonic" and I bridged that quote to a paragrapgh of his stats with "A fitting description considering he's off to one hell of a start."

But I chose heck being that it's not a quote and hell may still be considere inappropriate.

 

[Oz]

Another option: a different phrase. Or paraphrase.
Does hell need to be in the paper?

I've heard just as many coaches say "heckuva" ... um ... I mean "heck of a" in those instances.

 

[finishthehat]

What about "gonna"?

You can definitely hear a difference between that and "going to."

 

[EStreetJoe]

It's a little late, but go with "hell of a" or "(heck) of a" not helluva.

 

[chazp]

[blue]CNHI is a Hell of a company to work for.[/blue]

 

[Jones]

Story ran tonight for tomorrow. Used heck of a.

It was part of the story, not a quote.

At the risk of outing myself to some of my Canuckistan colleagues, the story was about a player who has started the season incredibly hot. He credits it to his new tinted contacts which he said make him look "demonic" and I bridged that quote to a paragrapgh of his stats with "A fitting description considering he's off to one hell of a start."

But I chose heck being that it's not a quote and hell may still be considere inappropriate.

Not to threadjack, Sue -- but are these the Nike soccer lenses you're talking about? I've just ordered a pair. I guess they're orange and on blue eyes look like ****, but I've heard they will take me from a mediocre keeper to a below average one.

Is that what you're talking about? If so, I'm damn excited to try 'em.

 

[John]

Story ran tonight for tomorrow. Used heck of a.

It was part of the story, not a quote.

At the risk of outing myself to some of my Canuckistan colleagues, the story was about a player who has started the season incredibly hot. He credits it to his new tinted contacts which he said make him look "demonic" and I bridged that quote to a paragrapgh of his stats with "A fitting description considering he's off to one hell of a start."

But I chose heck being that it's not a quote and hell may still be considere inappropriate.

Not to threadjack, Sue -- but are these the Nike soccer lenses you're talking about? I've just ordered a pair. I guess they're orange and on blue eyes look like ****, but I've heard they will take me from a mediocre keeper to a below average one.

Is that what you're talking about? If so, I'm damn excited to try 'em.

My eye doctor gave me a pair of the green ones to try the next time I play golf. He said they would make a huge difference. I don't really believe him, but I didn't want to say no because he's a helluva nice guy.

If nothing else, I want to get a photo of me with bright green eyes.

 

[Jones]

Yeah, John, I saw the golf ones too. Just ordered the soccer ones for now. Let me know how you like the others.

 

[trifectarich]

No one has ever said "helluva."

They may speak fast enough so that it sounds like all the words are squeezed together, but in our casual language today it also sounds like people say "would of" instead of "would have" and we don't change this.

It's "hell of a" — always.

 

[Runaway Jim]

The edict from on high at my paper forces us to skip that whole debate...it's "heck," "darn," and "Jeesum Crow" for us.

Damn over-sensitive bluehairs. They ruin everything. :)

 

[SoSueMe]

Story ran tonight for tomorrow. Used heck of a.

It was part of the story, not a quote.

At the risk of outing myself to some of my Canuckistan colleagues, the story was about a player who has started the season incredibly hot. He credits it to his new tinted contacts which he said make him look "demonic" and I bridged that quote to a paragrapgh of his stats with "A fitting description considering he's off to one hell of a start."

But I chose heck being that it's not a quote and hell may still be considere inappropriate.

Not to threadjack, Sue -- but are these the Nike soccer lenses you're talking about? I've just ordered a pair. I guess they're orange and on blue eyes look like ****, but I've heard they will take me from a mediocre keeper to a below average one.

Is that what you're talking about? If so, I'm damn excited to try 'em.

Yep. Those be the ones!

Guy was 1-for-3, also reaching on a fielder's choice last night. He's struck out once this season.

He keeps saying it all has to do with the lenses.

 

[Your Huckleberry]

Well you killed it whether you meant to "not to threadjack" or did.

 

[Jones]

By all means, Huck, enlighten us. Please opine on "hell of a" vs. "helluva." Let's get this baby back on track!

I'm sure this would have been a twenty-pager -- nay, the greatest twenty-page thread in the history of the board -- had I not asked a question about contact lenses.

I swoon with remorse.