adj. (common).—An expletive or emphasis: of the nature of an oath, being often used instead of ‘doomed,’ or ‘damned.’ In America the expression is more of a colloquialism than it is in England. Hence BLAME IT! = Damn it! BLAMENATION = Damnation!
1835. HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker. 3 S., vi. Yes, John Bull is a BLAMED blockhead.
1872. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), Roughing It, ix. The keeper had fired four times at an Indian, but he said with an injured air, that the Indian had ‘skipped’ around so’s to spile everything—and ammunition’s BLAMED skurse too.
1873. CARLETON, Farm Ballads, 18.
| And so that bowl kept pourin’ dissentions in our cup; | |
| And so that BLAMED cow-creature was always a-comin’ up. |
1888. Detroit Free Press, Oct. 6. ‘Did you see any Quakers in Philadelphia?’ was asked of a Detroiter who lately returned from that city. ‘Only one that I was sure of.’ ‘Did he “thee” and “thou” you?’ ‘He did. He got down off his hack and said: “If thee don’t pay me 2 dols I’ll knock thy BLAMED head off,” and I paid, although I knew the regular fare was twelve shillings. You don’t want to fool with those Quakers any, and don’t you forget it.’
1888. Portland Transcript, May 9. ‘Why do you object to your daughter marrying?’ ‘Wouldn’t object ef she wuster marry the right sorter man.’ ‘Isn’t Tom the right sort of man?’ ‘Not by a BLAMED sight.’
