Green’s Dictionary of Slang

damned, cursed; a euph. for god-damned adj.

1849		Taunton Courier (Somerset) 11 July 4/4: The one will be ‘darned’ and the the other ‘derned’ [...] Should this assertion require additional force, the Northen man will be ‘gaul darned’, and the Southern ‘dod darned’.
1851		West Kent Guardian 15 Feb. 4/4: I’ll be gaul-darned if I dew [...] till I’ve got my breakfuss!
1858		‘Joe Bowers’ in Lingenfelter et al. Songs of the Amer. West (1968) 97: It brought me the gol-darn’dest news as ever you did hear.
1858		N.Y. Dly Tribune 5 Mar. 3/6: I’ll be goldarned if it wasn’t.
1869		Athens Post (TN) 13 Aug. 2/4: Ain’t seen any nigger to-day that voted for Stokes; every goll durned one on ’em voted for Senter.
1876		‘Dan de Quille’ Big Bonanza (1947) 422: It brought the goldarndest news that you ever did hear.
1877		E.L. Wheeler Deadwood Dick in Beadle’s Half Dime Library I:1 1/3: Thar’s them gol danged copper-colored guests uv ther government.
1877		Staffs. Sentinel 23 Nov. 4/2: Jonathan said he’d be gol-darned if he didn’t take ’em.
1878		Donaldsonvill Chief (LA) 23 Mar. 1/2: Dad slam the gaul dinged dad fisted thing to thunder.
1879		A. Pinkerton Reminiscences 143: I didn’t want my friends to know I’d been such a gauldurned sucker.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 18 Mar. 10/3: ‘Say dad, what’s that gol darned thing?’.
1885		Hull Packet 30 Jan. 5/3: I am ‘goldarned’ [...] I may say this is an Americanism.
1895		Hants. Teleg. 7 Dec. 9/6: Boys, the next President is going to be a goldarned black Republican.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 4 Dec. 4/7: You’re a blanky goldarned fool.
1904		Salt Lake Tribune (UT) 31 Jan. 17/1: You won’t get a cent more salary, not a gol dinged cent .
1906		C. M’Govern Sarjint Larry an’ Frinds 9: It was the same free, open-air, come-as-you-please, go-when-you-gol-darned band concert which takes place every night on the Luneta.
1911		J. Lomax Cowboy Songs 190: Never thinking we would monkey with his gol-darned wheel.
1912		Eve. Bulletin (HI) 6 June 9/3: I don’t believe any such gol durned nonsense!
1920		E. O’Neill Beyond the Horizon II i: Don’t know what’s the matter with the goll-darned thing.
1922		P.A. Rollins Cowboy 72: If ever I have to git married, I’m going to marry a woman what’s all over gol-durned fluffs.
1928		D. Lawley Hustling Hobo 76: Amongst all the darned galoots of a cow camp these galdarned cooks are the worst in the whole damned shooting match.
1933		J. Conroy Disinherited 270: This gol-darned boopa-de-boop.
1938		M. Rand ‘Clip-Joint Chisellers’ in Ten Story Gang Aug. 🌐 I’ll break his gol-damned neck!
1947		Dundee Courier 13 June 2/4: Gee! This is a goldarned country to advertise for tourists.
1948		Reader’s Digest Mar. 128: ‘Oh, Lord!’ groaned Colonel John. ‘Another great story ruined by a goldurned eyewitness.’ [DA].
1962		E. Stephens Blow Negative! 238: Goldarndest grandstand play I ever saw.
1964		A. Hine Unsinkable Molly Brown 48: I don’t understand a gol-danged thing.
1979		(con. 1949) J. Hurling Boomers 91: Them kids an’ me jest set there on the gol-durned couch all day.
1990		W.G. Duncan Rafferty: Fatal Sisters 41: Lemme see now, where’s that goldarned door key?
2002		Cannabis News 6 Mar. 🌐 Is there something in the water, or has the Drug War really gotten this goldarned unbelievably FREAKING WEIRD???