helse, adjective and & adverb

/ˈhelsə/
Forms:
Also hell se.
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, hellish, infernal.
slang
A. adjective Huge, ‘bloody great’.
[1944 ‘Twede in Bevel’ Piet Kolonel 110And then he talked just the same Afrikaans as they did, with English words thrown in, and swore too and said great ‘God(s)’ and ‘Donners(s)’ and ‘Hell se (s).’]
1959 A. Delius Last Division 75I was just coming from having a few When there’s a helse gewolt in the Avenue And a Boere policeman up with his gun And knocks off a kaffir, and me the next one!
1985 Sunday Times 16 June (Mag. Sect.) 14It’s outstanding, darling: there’s this huge garden with a swimming-pool slap in the middle; there’s this helse patio with sliding glass doors.
B. adverb Extremely: hell of (a), see hell sense 1.
1988 E. Prov. Herald 27 Feb. 6Helse slim, chief, if you don’t mind my saying so.
Huge, ‘bloody great’.
Extremely: hell of (a), see hell sense 1.
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19441988
helper, nounn.hensop, verb intransitivev.
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