I used the phrase "what in tunket" in a post a couple days ago. By conincidence it is tsuwm's worthless word for today. I remember old timers using it in a way they often did names of places mentioned in the Bible. Tsuwm found it in a quote from James Joyce's "Ulysses". I found a quote a good bit older by Mark Twain. So I went looking for it, and found it is name of a town in Central Asia. I was unable to find mention of it in Bible. Perhaps someone else can.If it is not in the Bible, I cannot imagine how it came to be a popular expression

Subject: today's wwftd is... tunket
Date:
Fri, 03 Aug 2001 12:58:22 -0500 (CDT)
From: wwftd master <mikef3@cfsmo.honeywell.com>
To: wwftd minions <tsuwm@aol.com>
the worthless word for the day is: tunket
[U.S. dial.] euphemism for hell; as in "what in tunket"
Golly, whatten tunket's yon guy in the mackintosh?
- J. Joyce, _Ulysses_ 1922

-tsuwm http://members.aol.com/tsuwm/

Besides the traditional system of settlements along the river Sir-Darja, new towns and settlements appeared around the large towns of Kanka and Shakhrukhija. The largest urban concentration was in the middle course of the river Chirchik at the border with the steppe, where six towns were formed. A row of towns-fortresses streatched along the Churchik river. In VII c. AD one of the largest towns - Mingurjuk, became the capital of Chach. The capital of Ilak became the town of Tunket at the Akhangaran river, which hosted a massive citadel and metallurgical works. Around it there were a number of mining towns of Ilak.