What in tarnation Meaning in English
expression
ˈhwət/, /ˈwət/ /ˈɪn/, /ɪn/ /tɑɹˈneɪʃən
WUHT in tar-NAY-shuhn
wˈɒt/ /ˈɪn/ /tɑːnˈeɪʃən
WOT in tar-NAY-shuhn
Definition
An old-fashioned and humorous way to show surprise, confusion, or disbelief, similar to saying 'what on earth' or 'what the heck.'
Usage & Nuances
Very informal, mostly used for humorous or exaggerated effect and often associated with American Southern or rural speech. Used mainly to express surprise or confusion, rarely in serious contexts. Not common in modern speech but often found in movies, cartoons, or playful conversation.
Spanish: ¡pero qué demonios! - ¡qué rayos!Portuguese (BR): mas que diabos! - mas o que é isso!Portuguese (PT): mas que raio! - mas que diabo é isto!Chinese (Simplified): 这究竟是怎么回事！ - 你搞什么鬼！Chinese (Traditional): 這究竟是怎麼回事！ - 你搞什麼鬼！Hindi: ये क्या बकवास है! - ये क्या मुसीबत है!Arabic: ما هذا بحق الجحيم! - ما الذي يحدث هنا!Bengali: এটা আবার কী (হাস্যকরভাবে ব্যবহৃত)Russian: что за чертовщина - что за чертJapanese: いったい全体 - なんてこったVietnamese: cái quái gì vậy - trời đất ơiKorean: 대체 뭐야 - 세상에Turkish: bu da ne böyle - Allah AllahUrdu: یہ کیا ماجرا ہے - یا اللہ یہ کیاIndonesian: apa-apaan ini - astaga
Example Sentences
What in tarnation is that noise outside?
basic
What in tarnation are you wearing?
basic
What in tarnation happened to my phone?
basic
What in tarnation did you do to this cake?
natural
What in tarnation is going on in here?
natural
You scared me! What in tarnation were you thinking?
natural