Green’s Dictionary of Slang

not care a curse v.

to not care at all.

1749		Smollett (trans.) Adventures of Gil Blas (1822) II 169: I decamped as expeditiously as my legs could carry me [...] without caring a curse what became of the young brood I had plucked.
1838–9		Dickens Nicholas Nickleby (1982) 198: With regard to such questions... which one can’t be expected to care a curse about.
1843		H.C. Lewis Swamp Doctor’s Adventures in Hudson Humor of the Old Deep South (1936) 81–6: Don’t care a cuss; dimes is plentyer.
1856		M. Griffith Autobiog. of a Female Slave 142: I don’t care a cuss for that.
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 389: That rogue doesn’t care a curse what he does.
1860		Pomeroy Wkly Teleg. (OH) 15 May 1/5: [used attrib.] He was a short, chunky, ‘don’t-care-a-cuss’ looking fellow.
1862		J.R. Lowell Biglow Papers 2nd series (1880) 105: Ther’ ’s too many Deemocrats [...] Thet go feer the Union ’thout carin’ a cuss.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 133/2: If I’m to be in the job at all, it shall be as an insider else turn me up at once; I don’t care a curse.
1875		M. Thompson Hoosier Mosaics 101: No, nor I don’t care a cuss; so put off an’ don’t come yawpin’ round me!
1879		G.R. Sims Dagonet Ballads 10: I care not a curse for the guardians.
1880		New Babylon (London) 24 July 5/2: But very sportive prophets such as Daniel and Co. / Who didn't care a ‘blooming cuss’ what wrath might lions wreak’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 7 Mar. 12/2: Sir Henry P. is a knowing man, / Who tried many dodges our votes to inveigle; / he goes right agin this war in the Soudan, / An’ sez the despatch of our troops is illegal; / But W. B., / Dalley, he / Sez he don’t care a cuss for Sir Henry P.
1890		Sporting Times 4 Jan. 6: They cared not a ‘cuss’ for what England said / To their ‘dusting’ Slavin, poor fellow, / To their ‘bashing’ and kicking a stranger’s head.
1893–4		H. Lawson ‘Stiffner and Jim’ in Roderick (1972) 123: We [...] tried to look as if we’d just drawn our cheques and didn’t care a curse for any man.
1898		J. Fox Jr ‘Courtin’ on Cutshin’ in Hell Fer Sartain and Other Stories n.p.: He jes [...] swings his chin aroun’ as though he didn’t give a cuss fer nothin’.
1900		T.J. Carey Hebrew Yarns and Dialect Humor 81/2: If the ‘skunks’ will not alter their manners, / I don’t care a ‘cuss,’ ‘let ’em slide.’.
1903		J. Furphy Such is Life 40: He would have it his own way, and I didn’t give a curse, so on we went.
1906		New Boys’ World 22 Dec. 76: Working hard for a cove that didn’t care a cuss about him.
1910		Bulletin (Sydney) 21 July 30/2: A large number wanted an honest boy, but most of the applicants apparently didn’t care a cuss so long as they got [a] plain, ordinary two-legged boy.
1925		S. O’Casey Shadow of a Gunman Act II: When the Tommies have the wind up they let bang at everything they see – they don’t give a God’s curse who they plug.
1934		E. Caldwell Tobacco Road (1958) 24: She don’t give a cuss what nobody thinks about it.
1940		M. de la Roche Whiteoak Heritage (1949) 146: But if you think that either of those men care a curse for you, you’re damned well mistaken.
1940		O. Strange Sudden Takes the Trail 86: I don’t care a cuss who they are, lead is lead.
1944		J. Cary Horse’s Mouth (1948) 7: She doesn’t give a curse.
1957		J. Braine Room at the Top (1959) 88: She mayn’t give a curse whether I see her or not.
1962		B. Behan Brendan Behan’s Island (1984) 102: I don’t give a God’s curse if you were here since Judas was in the Fire Brigade.