# Fire in the WHAT? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 9, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852 "2008-09-09T21:43:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/1 "2008-09-09T21:43:16Z")
Hole? Hold? Seems like “Fire in the Hold!” would be more appropriate, as in a ship fire. Fire in the “Hole?” Well you younger Dopers might use that. Depends upon what hole the shouter is talking about. How about "Explosion Coming!!!? Seems better. Question: Why “Fire in the Hole” instead of “Look out moutherfuckers, big ass explosion coming!” Seems like this would grab more attention. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/2 "2008-09-09T21:51:18Z")
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire\_in\_the\_hole](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_in_the_hole) ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/3 "2008-09-09T22:38:30Z")
That wikipedia entry does not inspire confidence, with its recent edit adding a different explanation, and its equivocation between “hole” and “hold”. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/4 "2008-09-09T23:02:07Z")
I still think “Fire in the Hold” makes more sense. What if you’re going to explode something and yell fire in the \*hole \*and there is no hole to run from? Or even Hold? I would just yell "Explosion in 2 Minutes (or something) to clear the area! Or, sound a siren, and have spotters to make sure there’s nobody around the explosive. I’m going home now… ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/5 "2008-09-09T23:28:53Z")
Well, I get to do my first demolition shots next week. I’ll post back then and will let you know. Tripler EOD School Student. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/6 "2008-09-09T23:45:49Z")
A fire in the hold of a ship would only cause an explosion under narrow circumstances. Most ships don’t carry explosive cargo. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/7 "2008-09-10T00:14:13Z")
[This thread](http://boardstest.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=472780) discusses the origin of the phrase ‘Fire in the Hole’. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/8 "2008-09-10T00:24:14Z")
My understanding is that “fire in the hole” and the related “touchhole” (which today has a rather vulgar slang meaning) both related to cannoning (i.e. the firing of cannon) where a burning stick would be touched to the charge in the cannon in order to fire it through the small hole left for that purpose when the cannon was cast or forged. The hole through which the charge was touched was of course the touchhole, and the cry “fire in the hole” alerted the cannon’ crew that its firing was imminent. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/9 "2008-09-10T00:32:35Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > My understanding is that “fire in the hole” and the related “touchhole” (which today has a rather vulgar slang meaning) both related to cannoning (i.e. the firing of cannon) where a burning stick would be touched to the charge in the cannon in order to fire it through the small hole left for that purpose when the cannon was cast or forged. The hole through which the charge was touched was of course the **touchhole** , and the cry “fire in the hole” alerted the cannon’ crew that its firing was imminent. One of the few English words with a double ‘h’. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/10 "2008-09-10T00:33:06Z")
This was discussed in the last half year. I can’t get the search function to work, so if anybody else can maybe you can link it here.:mad: ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/11 "2008-09-10T13:42:41Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > This was discussed in the last half year. I can’t get the search function to work, so if anybody else can maybe you can link it here.:mad: I think that was **Chez Guevara** ’s link. RR ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/12 "2008-09-10T14:12:30Z")
> [@RiverRunner](#): > > I think that was **Chez Guevara** ’s link. > RR Yes it is. I got involved trying to find the previous discussion, before that link was put there. The time difference shows how much time I wasted on that. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/13 "2008-09-10T14:16:44Z")
Fire in the disco! Fire in the Taco Bell! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rGoMBi7WaKM/hqdefault.jpg "Electric 6 - Danger High Voltage") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGoMBi7WaKM) ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/14 "2008-09-10T23:51:45Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > A fire in the hold of a ship would only cause an explosion under narrow circumstances. Most ships don’t carry explosive cargo. Here’s a couple of narrow ones: [http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/AtoZ/halexpl.html](http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/AtoZ/halexpl.html) [http://www.essortment.com/all/texascityexplo\_rkvi.htm](http://www.essortment.com/all/texascityexplo_rkvi.htm) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/15 "2008-09-11T00:02:56Z")
It’s “hole”, alright. Back in the day miners would use a manual rock drill to drill a hole in the rock in the mine to insert the expolsive. When the fuse was lit (fire) he would holler :fire in the hole", which is literal and easy to understand. Now I’ll look at the other posts and see what they say. I didn’t want to be influenced. 😉 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/16 "2008-09-11T00:03:44Z")
> [@Ignatz](#): > > Here’s a couple of narrow ones: > > [http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/AtoZ/halexpl.html](http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/AtoZ/halexpl.html) > > [http://www.essortment.com/all/texascityexplo\_rkvi.htm](http://www.essortment.com/all/texascityexplo_rkvi.htm) That sort of proves my point, doesn’t it? Most hold fires don’t cause explosions? ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/17 "2008-09-11T00:04:23Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > Well, I get to do my first demolition shots next week. I’ll post back then and will let you know. > > Tripler > EOD School Student. OT: **Tripler** I thought you got out. Are you attending Navy EOD or a civilian school. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/18 "2008-09-11T00:08:31Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > A fire in the hold of a ship would only cause an explosion under narrow circumstances. Most ships don’t carry explosive cargo. Furthermore, explosives would be stored in the _magazine_, not the hold. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/19 "2008-09-11T05:41:59Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > One of the few English words with a double ‘h’. 🙂 You’re on the threshhold of something significant there, I feel. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852/20 "2008-09-11T07:51:28Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > You’re on the threshhold of something significant there, I feel. I, for one, am glad this information was not withheld [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-in-the-what/462852.md?page=2)