bloody hell

Alternatively British blasphemy related to Bloody Mary -- which says The Virgin Mary was not a virgin as in Mary was bloody from her ruptured hymen. Of course such a blasphemy means you are going straight to hell having denied Christ is God's son. Thus Bloody Hell refers to huge disaster and misfortune. This form is seldom the sense used today - but when it is there is an implication that the Church or Christianity or God is at fault. The less controversial "Blood of Christ wounds" is the usual meaning which is merely bad in the sense of making vows without permission of a vicar and degrading their seriousness. Vows by the "Blood of Christ" were supposed to be reserved for the most serious of matters like going on crusade. In this case "Bloody Hell" is more shorthand for saying "by the Blood of Christ Wounds I swear it is as bad as if Hell itself has broken loose on Earth".