Unraveling the Mystery Behind a Chilling Phrase: “Cold as the Dickens” Predates Famous Author by Centuries

A common phrase used to describe severe cold weather, “cold as the Dickens,” has a linguistic origin far more ancient and intriguing than many assume, according to a recent analysis of linguistics. The expression, often linked to the 19th-century novelist Charles Dickens due to evocative characters and settings, actually established itself as a euphemism for “the devil” in the English language by the late 1500s, over two hundred years before Dickens’s birth.

This linguistic phenomenon is a prime example of a “minced oath.” During the Elizabethan era, directly invoking the devil was considered a significant social transgression and potentially blasphemous. To express strong emotion or frustration without incurring social disapproval, individuals would substitute a similar-sounding word. The phrase “devil” evolved into “dickens,” beginning with the voiced alveolar plosive /d/ sound and shifting phonologically to avoid the direct taboo.

The earliest documented literary use of this phrase appears in William Shakespeare’s play, The Merry Wives of Windsor, estimated to have been written around 1597. In one scene, a character exclaims, “I cannot tell what the dickens his name is.” Scholars interpret Shakespeare’s inclusion of this expression as an indicator of its widespread use as popular slang at the time. By the late 16th century, “the dickens” had transformed from a direct reference to a noun into a versatile intensifier, employed to convey surprise, annoyance, or extreme physical sensations, including intense cold.

The connection of “the dickens” to extreme cold, despite the traditional association of the devil with a fiery underworld, can be understood through two main perspectives. One theory points to mythological influences, such as the frozen, desolate underworld depicted in Norse mythology and the icy lake at the deepest level of Dante’s Inferno. Another explanation, rooted in modern linguistics, suggests the phrase functions as a “similetic intensifier.” Similar to phrases like “happy as hell,” the comparison is used to signify an extreme degree of the quality being described, rather than a literal depiction.

The perceived association of the phrase with the author Charles Dickens is a phenomenon known as “re-etymologization.” Dickens’s immense global popularity during the Victorian era led his name to become a kind of “linguistic shield,” gradually overshadowing the older, more sinister association with the devil. The public began to connect the phrase with Dickens’s vivid characters and often wintry narratives, effectively sanitizing and preserving the expression for modern usage. Far from originating the phrase, the author of A Christmas Carol inadvertently became its popularizer and protector.

The phrase experienced a resurgence in popularity on the American frontier. Historical records from the Civil War era and homesteading journals from the Midwest indicate that “cold as the dickens” became a socially acceptable and common way to describe the harsh, frigid conditions encountered on the Great Plains. Today, while more contemporary expletives are prevalent in informal speech, “cold as the dickens” endures as a nostalgic echo of linguistic heritage. It serves as a centuries-old linguistic artifact, allowing individuals to express their discomfort with cold weather while unknowingly referencing a much older, Tudor-era euphemism for the devil.

So while we might finally know the origin of the phrase, there is no universally accepted temperature threshold for “cold as the dickens”. But fair to say, given recent lows in the high teens in the Hagerstown area, I believe it’s safe to say the phrase accurately applies.

Article by Ken Buckler, based upon information from World Wide Words, The Guardian’s Notes and Queries, and Londonist.

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