the fuck

Perhaps modelled after the hell, short for in the hell as in "What in the hell, ...".

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the fuck

1. (vulgar, slang) Used after interrogative pronouns as an intensifier to express anger, frustration, incredulity, or other strong emotion.
   • 2011 April 29, Tim Jonze, The Guardian:

     "Look at this!" she says, mock-appalled at the scene. "Seriously, what the fuck is this about?"

   • 2016 June 19, “Brexit”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver‎, HBO, HBO, 00:14:33 from the start:

     Poland is depressing and there's vampires in Romania. Spain is far too hot and where the fuck is Lithuania?

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:the dickens

2. (vulgar, slang) Used after verbs forming a part of a phrasal verb as an intensifier to imply aggressive emphasis.

   Shut the fuck up.

   • 2004, Pun Plamondon, Lost from the Ottawa, page 84:

     “Get the fuck out of my house!” Sinclair bellowed, his face red, eyes bulging.

   • 2007, Ron Liebman, Death by Rodrigo, New York: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 134:

     Ponytail tells fat boy, Drive the fuck off, get us out of here. He keeps the window down, still death-staring, You mine, motherfucker, wait and see, at Mickie.

3. (vulgar, slang, by ellipsis) Used as a shortened form of the common interrogative phrases.

   The fuck was that? ― What the fuck was that?

   The fuck you think you are?! ― Who the fuck do you think you are?

   The fuck? ― (said incredulously; also as what the fuck?)

4. (vulgar, slang) Used to emphatically express that something isn't true.
   • 1997, Robert Stone, Dog Soldiers, page 88:

     ‘You're not a self-respecting person.’

     ‘The fuck I ain't,’ the kid said.

• dafuq (said incredulously and used for less serious situations)

• -fucking-

• fucketh