No matter what happens; come what may. The origin of this expression has been lost. One authority claims it is a variation of between the devil and the deep blue sea, “hell” and “high water” representing similar great obstacles. It appears to have originated shortly after 1900. In 1939, at the outbreak of World War II, A. Keith wrote about imperialism, “Let empires be built—come hell or high water, they build ’em.”