“Fire in the hole” originated as a warning for miners before detonating explosives. It is now used in any situation where an explosion is imminent and has spread to military, civilian, and entertainment contexts. It is still used in modern mining to warn other miners of impending explosions.
“Fire in the hole” is one of many idiomatic expressions in the English language. Its exact origins are not known, but it probably originated with miners. The phrase was originally used to warn of the impending detonation of mine explosives. It is now employed in any situation where an explosion, particularly in an enclosed space, is imminent, and can be used more extravagantly in a variety of somewhat similar situations.
Modern mining makes extensive use of high explosives. Miners originally developed the phrase “fire in the hole” to serve as a warning before they were about to detonate explosive charges. Such a warning would have allowed other miners to clear the area where the explosion was about to occur. Other workers who use explosives, for demolition or land clearing, also use this phrase.
The military, especially the US military, also use the phrase “fire in the hole”. The phrase can be used whenever explosives are about to explode. This will be the most frequent case when a soldier has thrown a grenade. Other explosives, such as satchel charges, which are used for battlefield demolition work, could also be announced by yelling “Fire in the hole!”
Soldiers usually use this expression only in reference to the explosives they have dropped or thrown. A soldier suffering an artillery bombardment would not say “Fire in the hole!” “Arriving!” or some similar exclamation would be used instead of him.
Military phrases often find their way into civilian life, reported by soldiers, and then spread to a more general population if they seem terse or to the point. World War I added phrases like “live and let live” to the English language, along with terms like “trench”. “Fire in the hole” has similarly migrated into more common usage.
This phrase is also very popular in action movies and video games. These genres are great drivers of popular culture and have added to the phrase’s prevalence in non-military usage. It could be used when lighting a fireworks display, or a barbecue chef could also use it when lighting a charcoal grill with too light a liquid.
However, “Fire in the hole” and other similar sayings are still used in mining. Explosives are as much a part of modern industrial mining as they were 100 years ago, and are just as dangerous. This cry is still used to warn other miners that charges will be set off and that they should seek safety.
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