The most common example probably being "run like Hell". Now, Hell isn't known for being very active; "hurts like Hell" and "burns like Hell" are the only two that make sense because those are about the only things Hell actually does. I figure there must be some sort of subtext I'm not getting. If you were to run like Hell, drive like Hell, or even LOVE like Hell, shouldn't that mean not doing those things at all, instead of doing them to the fullest extent?
Learn English – the origin of the phrase “[do something] like Hell”
etymology
Best Answer
In the prepositional phrase "like hell", hell is an intensifier which is used to suggest a manner that uses all of the strength, speed, or effort that a person can summon. Its usage is from the mid/late 19 century.
(www-personal.umich.edu/~jlawler)
Like hell:
(The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.)
Like hell:
Note that:
(The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.)