he is hell on wheels

[alpacinou]

Hello,

I learned this idiom today and I like it: He is hell on wheels.

My question is can it be used for a specific or temporary situation? Are these okay?

1. He is hell on wheels when he wakes up early in the morning.

2. He is hell on wheels if he doesn't drink coffee.

3. He is hell on wheels whenever he watches basketball.

4. On some days he is very nice. But some days he is hell on wheels.

5. If he sees this mess, he will become hell on wheels.

6. He will be hell on wheels when he sees Dow Jones index toady.

I am specifically concerned about number 5 and 6.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't associate that phrase with describing people at all. People aren't described as "hell" so you can't use it and then add an intensifier. Intangible things like experiences can be described as "hell" so it works as I've shown below.

Q: How was your day?
A: It was hell on wheels!

The only similar phrase I can think of to describe people (and I'm not saying this is a common phrase but I have certainly heard it) would go in "Some days he's very nice, but some days he's like a devil on speed". ("Speed" here refers to the drug.)

 

[alpacinou]

I don't associate that phrase with describing people at all. People aren't described as "hell" so you can't use it and then add an intensifier. Intangible things like experiences can be described as "hell" so it works as I've shown below.

Q: How was your day?
A: It was hell on wheels!

The only similar phrase I can think of to describe people (and I'm not saying this is a common phrase but I have certainly heard it) would go in "Some days he's very nice, but some days he's like a devil on speed". ("Speed" here refers to the drug.)

I think it's a British American thing because I heard it from a native. It's in all the dictionaries:

https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/hell-on-wheels
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/hell+on+wheels

 

[alpacinou]

The dictionaries say it's American.

 

[probus]

In AmE we do sometimes apply this description to people.

 

[alpacinou]

In AmE we do sometimes apply this description to people.

Yes. I heard it from a native speaker. Most examples in dictionaries are about people.

So, what do you think about examples in post 1?

 

[probus]

6 is okay. 5 seems unnatural to me for some reason. There is some sort of clash between "become" and "hell on wheels", perhaps a difference in registers.

 

[alpacinou]

6 is okay. 5 seems unnatural to me for some reason. There is some sort of clash between "become" and "hell on wheels", perhaps a difference in registers.

Thanks. Should I be concerned about 1-4 at all?

 

[probus]

All except 5 are quite natural in AmE.

 

[alpacinou]

All except 5 are quite natural in AmE.

That is good to know. I wrote all of them myself.