Give them hell

[Gioia80]

Hi,
a girl is talking about her dead mam. She says:

"She used to say she liked being a Langmore because her name was Lynn. Give them H-E-double-L. Always tried to turn something bad into something good."

I understand the meaning of 'give them hell', what I am not sure about is the connection with the name. Can anyone explain it to me, please?

Thank you!

 

[Leeeroy]

Her name was Lynn Langmore. What were her initials? Double L.

 

[owlman5]

There are two Ls in the name Lynn Langmore. Give them H-E-double-L sounds like something that cheerleaders would chant if they were trying to get students roused up in support for their local team.

If this doesn't make much sense to you, don't worry about it. It is just a minor comment in a passage about some character's dead mother.

 

[Gioia80]

Ok. Got it!
Thank you very much!

 

[Edinburgher]

I don't get where the H and the E come from

Perhaps they don't come from anywhere. Pronouncing the letter L already sounds like "hell" with an unaspirated 'h'. So the 'he' could be back-formation from that.

Either that, or her husband's initials were H.E., which would make the couple a formidable team.