Alternative form of measles.
(euphemistic, obsolete) Used after interrogative pronouns as an intensifier to express anger, frustration, incredulity, or other strong emotion.
What the measles do you think you're doing?
Nationalism is an infantile disease, the measles of mankind. Albert Einstein
Love is like the measles. The older you get it, the worse the attack. Rainer Maria Rilke
Of my infancy I can speak little, only I do remember that in the fourth year of my age I had the measles. William Lilly
If you ask 99.9 percent of parents who have children with autism if we'd rather have the measles versus autism, we'd sign up for the measles. Jenny McCarthy