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.

In looking for "Tunket" in the Bible, I found a German Bible that had the word as a verb meaning to dip. So I learned something I had not expected to. "Dunk" as in doughnuts, is from the German "dunken" to dip (and to baptize.)

that were no coincidence. but I did neglect to tip the ol' hat; thanx bill.

The only way that the old-timers can have gotten this name is from geography or history in school. Over a hundred years ago there was a revival of interest in Persia, for example. I knew a couple women with names like Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great. I haven't been able to find out any historical events involving Tunket .

One other expressions old-timers commonly used was "hotter than Tophet." This referred to a Canaanite
temple not far from Jerusalem where children were sacrificed to Molech by incineeration.

In the same period, Timbuctoo was used as a figure of speech meaning far away. I was surprised to learn that it was famous as a commercial sourse of salt, a very valuable commodity in ancient times.

And the world it didn't give a hoot
If his blood was British or Timbuctoot.
1930 D. H. Lawrence Nettles

2 Kings 23:10 2 Kings 23 2 Kings 23:9-11 He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.

Isaiah 30:33 Isaiah 30 Isaiah 30:32-34 Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.

Jeremiah 7:31 Jeremiah 7 Jeremiah 7:30-32 They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire--something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.

...and so forth.