Inf. There will be a lot of trouble if something is done or if something is not done. (See also have the devil to pay.) Fred: If you break another window, Andy, there will be hell to pay. Andy: I didn't do it! I didn't. Bill: I'm afraid there's no time to do this one. I'm going to skip it. Bob: There will be hell to pay if you do. Bill broke a window, and now there will be the devil to pay.
sent. Things will be so bad that one will have to bribe the devil to straighten them out. (Use caution with hell.) If I don’t get this done on time, there will be hell to pay.