# How long has "hella" been in use?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 14, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339 "2003-11-14T23:42:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Colinmarshall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colinmarshall)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/1 "2003-11-14T23:42:05Z")
Though is use seems to be waning, does anybody know how long the (idiotic, in my opinion) teenage slang term “hella” has been around? I personally started hearing in the mid-1990s, (1996 would be my best guess) but several recent conversations on the subject have demanded that I gather more information.
Hella yours,
Colin
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### Author:  [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/2 "2003-11-15T00:26:51Z")
My OED doesn’t show any cites of that usage. So I’d guess it’s fairly new.
It shows up on Usenet around 1989 or so. Here it is as “hella pain in the ass”. Link:
[http://groups.google.com/groups?q=hella&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as\_drrb=b&as\_mind=12&as\_minm=5&as\_miny=1981&as\_maxd=14&as\_maxm=11&as\_maxy=1989&selm=1513%40atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu&rnum=7](http://groups.google.com/groups?q=hella&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as_drrb=b&as_mind=12&as_minm=5&as_miny=1981&as_maxd=14&as_maxm=11&as_maxy=1989&selm=1513%40atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu&rnum=7)
There is a usenet usage from 1986, but it looks to me like it could be a typo. Link:
[http://groups.google.com/groups?q=hella&start=10&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as\_drrb=b&as\_mind=12&as\_minm=5&as\_miny=1981&as\_maxd=14&as\_maxm=11&as\_maxy=1988&selm=12248291398.66.SHULMAN%40RED.RUTGERS.EDU&rnum=14](http://groups.google.com/groups?q=hella&start=10&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as_drrb=b&as_mind=12&as_minm=5&as_miny=1981&as_maxd=14&as_maxm=11&as_maxy=1988&selm=12248291398.66.SHULMAN%40RED.RUTGERS.EDU&rnum=14)
So it was in some use by 1989.
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### Author:  [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/3 "2003-11-15T00:27:32Z")
I was hella annoyed by its usage by a bunch of White Gangasta Ho Wannabes in October 1991.
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### Author:  [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/4 "2003-11-15T01:05:37Z")
It was hecka common in Northern California (anecdotally this appears to be its region of origin) in the mid-80’s and later by my recollection. Possibly it was in use earlier, when I was still too young to use it.
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### Author:  [@john31584](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john31584)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/5 "2003-11-15T01:09:43Z")
as a northern californian, I’ll be happy when this word is dead and buried.
and…ummm…hella
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### Author:  [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/6 "2003-11-15T01:14:33Z")
It’s hella fully sick, mad, and hardcore amongst the Lebanese teenagers in Sydney. Has been for a few years, _bro_!
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### Author:  [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/7 "2003-11-15T01:27:34Z")
I picked it up from Cartman on South Park around 1997 or 1998, I think.
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### Author:  [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/8 "2003-11-15T01:55:06Z")
It was in use in Northern California as early as 1976.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/9 "2003-11-15T04:09:21Z")
It was very common in Southern California in the early 80’s.
Haj
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### Author:  [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/10 "2003-11-15T06:54:01Z")
Never heard it till now. Not on the street. Not on TV. Not in the papers. Hope it dies before it gets to Chicago.
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### Author:  [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/11 "2003-11-15T07:01:27Z")
It was used in Northern California but not Southern California in 1998 – the first time I heard it was from people I graduated from high school with who were going to UC Santa Cruz.
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### Author:  [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/12 "2003-11-15T07:46:36Z")
I moved to San Francisco in 1986 and it was very common then. Friends who had moved up from L.A. told me it was not used there (although it was known as “Northern California slang”).
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### Author:  [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/13 "2003-11-15T08:17:59Z")
I need to back up **hajario**. Me and the boys were using this in Isla Vista (next to UCSB) back around 1981.
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### Author:  [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/14 "2003-11-15T08:46:00Z")
It’s apparently quite old, but it gained a lot of popularity once featured on south park ironically as something that was annoying.
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### Author:  [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/15 "2003-11-15T14:40:17Z")
In 1966, when I was shopping the ads in _Car & Driver_ for brighter-than-standard headlights, there were two brands. You could get Lucas or Hella. The ads didn’t use the name as an adverb, but I suppose they were Hella bright. 😃
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### Author:  [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/16 "2003-11-15T14:43:45Z")
Nah, some dude in Germany named his company that in 1908. I had a pair of Hella’s on a Ford Courier pickup I owned many years ago.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/17 "2003-11-15T14:45:17Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by MonkeyMensch \*
> \*\*I need to back up **hajario**. Me and the boys were using this in Isla Vista (next to UCSB) back around 1981. \*\*
Except that I heard it at UCSD at the same time! It looks like we switched places. It was the rocker/heavy metal dudes that used the phrase. I believe that it was _Wayne’s World_ that really popularized it over a decade before _South Park_.
Haj
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/18 "2003-11-15T14:45:20Z")
What does it mean? Is it a contraction of “hell of a” or “helluva”?
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/19 "2003-11-15T15:06:49Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by hajario \*
> \*\*Except that I heard it at UCSD at the same time! It looks like we switched places. It was the rocker/heavy metal dudes that used the phrase. I believe that it was _Wayne’s World_ that really popularized it over a decade before _South Park_.
>
> Haj \*\*
I’m having trouble remembering it in a WW skit or in either movie - do you remember where they said it?
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-has-hella-been-in-use/213339/20 "2003-11-15T16:29:05Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by dantheman \*
> \*\*I’m having trouble remembering it in a WW skit or in either movie - do you remember where they said it? \*\*
I didn’t see the second movie and only saw parts of the first one. I’m thinking it was the skits. I worked at the campus radio station and definitely first heard it from the guy who did the Heavy Metal show and we used to mock him with WW type talk so I could easily be confusing the two. Given what was going on in my life at the time (hint: I did the reggae show and attended Grateful Dead concerts) my memory just may be a bit faulty.
Haj
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