Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a strong expression of reprehension or dislike; thus damnedest [the ‘Damned Crew’ (cite 1610) were a specific gang of violent aristocratic rowdies].

c.1580		‘I.T.’ Grim The Collier of Croydon III i: Damned Strumpets, Authors of this woe.
c.1591		Shakespeare Comedy of Errors IV iv: Dissembling harlot! thou art false in all; And art confederate with a damned pack To make a loathsome abject scorn of me.
1600		J. Day Blind Beggar of Bednall-Green Act III: This damb’d perpetual Rogue Swash, has kept me here in little ease of the bare ground. [Ibid.] IV: Surely it is a damn’d Magicion.
1610		Rowlands Martin Mark-all 15: You are acquainted with all the damned Crew about the City.
1612		J. Taylor Laugh and Be Fat 43: And such are you you damn’d Tartarian whelps.
c.1621		Middleton Women Beware Women II ii: Y’are a damned bawd!
1635		R. Brome Sparagus Garden IV iv: O damn’d old counterfeit.
c.1635		W. Cartwright Ordinary IV i: Hell!—Death!—Damn’d luck!
c.1642		T. Killigrew Parson’s Wedding (1664) V iv: I find our plot’s betrayed [...] ’Tis that damned captain has informed.
1663		Dryden Wild Gallant IV i: If ever man play’d with such cursed fortune, I’ll be hanged, and all for want of this damned ace.
1676		Etherege Man of Mode II i: Dissembler, damned dissembler!
1677		Behn Rover III i: Wou’d I cou’d met with some true damn’d Gipsie, that I might know my Fortune.
1682		‘Song of the Wives’ in Wilson Court Satires of the Restoration (1976) 113: Mary Gerrard does stare, / And fain would prefer / Her ugly damned carcass, but none would have her.
1696		Character of the Beaux 16: Damme, here’s a dam’d Play.
1713		W. King York Spy 10: Will Winker hit me such a Damn’d bang.
1723		C. Walker Authentick Memoirs of Sally Salisbury 33: You Damn’d Confounded Pocky Whore.
1739		Newcastle Courant 26 May 3/3: On Mrs D-m-d’s Preaching [...] Boys come running with their Breeches down, Thus Quaking Crowds to D-m-d lending Ear [...] She thunders out [...] As loud and senseless as a lowing cow.
1746		Newcastle Courant 19 Apr. 2/2: The Rebels have met this wth a confounded Drubbing [...] Of the Rebels are a d—n’d number kill’d.
1759		Low Life Above Stairs II i: It is a damn’d Thing that a Man of my Quality should be taken in so grossly, by a Pack of scoundrel Sharpers.
1775		Sheridan Rivals (1776) II i: Pray Mr. – what’s his d---d name?
1788		Sheffield Register 9 Feb. 4/2: Ambo. How are the Turks? Uproar. Damn’d mad.
1797		Bridges Burlesque Homer (4th edn) II 164: Though your old cuckold-pated whlep, / By that damn’d brim Minerva’s help, / Did win this match.
c.1805		‘A Post under Government’ Jovial Songster 92: Says my Lord, that dam’d bell is as loud as the thunder.
1818		W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian (1883) 175: I’ll take some measures with this d----d Bess of Bedlam.
c.1820		‘Secrets Revealed’ in C. Hindley Curiosities of Street Lit. (1871) 21: King Ludgate’s Hill --- I think the dem’med name of the place is called.
1833		‘Ye Rakehells So Jolly’ Swell!!! or, Slap-Up Chaunter 26: Without those d---d tricks, French brandy to mix, / But genuine – neat as imported.
1837		R.M. Bird Nick of the Woods III 77: This same sodger younker [...] has been butchering Shawnees there, aye, and in this d---d town too.
1841		D. Boucicault London Assurance in London Assurance and other Victorian Comedies Act IV: It was all that damned brandy punch on top of the burgundy. What a fool I was!
1842		S. Lover Handy Andy 14: They are destroying the place with their d---d improvements.
1848		‘Jumping Over a Bear’ Spirit of the Times 30 Dec. (N.Y.) 535: ‘D--n you,’ said he, ‘I don’t see anything so d---d funny to laugh at’.
1854		Bell’s Life in Sydney 25 Feb. 2/6: Dem the fellow [...] demmed nuisance.
1856		M. Griffith Autobiog. of a Female Slave 138: As you treed dat ar’ d----d nigger-wench, you desarves a drap or so.
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 94: One with very shiny hair [...] answered the lady at the window, calling her ‘a d---d old cat’.
1869		J. Greenwood Seven Curses of London 203: There is no danger of being brought in for perjury in this case, not a d[amned] bit.
1874		J. Greenwood Wilds of London (1881) 116: As for the broken window, summon for that and be ------.
1875		‘Aliph Cheem’ Lays of Ind (1905) 29: Doughty’s a d—d young dog!
1879		Abbeville Press & Banner (SC) 26 Nov. 2/5: I intend to give you the damnedest licking you ever had.
1887		G. Devol Forty Years a Gambler (1996) 15: The captain refused, and told Burges that he was a ‘d[amne]d gambler’.
1891		H. Lawson ‘His Last Ride’ in Roderick (1972) 26: Pull yerselves together! Worse than a pair of d[amne]d old women.
1893		Indiana State Sentinel (Indianapolis, IN) 30 Aug. 11/3: ‘I’ll be gosh-darned ef that ain’t the damnedest’.
1921		D.L. Sayers Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1977) 66: What’s the dem’d total now, Fentiman, just out of curiosity?
1928		Radclyffe Hall Well of Loneliness (1976) 151: It’s all this damned animal’s fault that you met her!
1937		E. Anderson Thieves Like Us (1999) 26: She run off with some damned guy.
1949		Wodehouse Mating Season 17: He said of course I didn’t get the damned gist.
1950		‘Hal Ellson’ Tomboy (1952) 15: I’d do every damned ride in Coney Island.
1976		Cab Calloway Of Minnie the Moocher and Me 12: I’d be in church every damned Sunday.
1984		A. Sayle Train to Hell 64: I was talking about this damned dead Englishman.

2. a general intensifier, complete, utter.

1822		D. Carey Life in Paris 424: You couldn’t be such a d----d fool as to leave Liddy to walk in Paris by herself?
1848		G.W.M. Reynolds Mysteries of London II (2nd series 280: It’s a lie – a damned lie!
1849		Paul Pry 5 Mar. 5/3: Miss B—t, of Wellclose square, to get married. We should not think that a hard matter, as she is a ‘demmed nice girl’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 18 Apr. 6/1: This was to show his Lordships demmed indifference to the opinion of decent people.
1907		W.M. Raine Bucky O’Connor (1910) 90: ’Tis a domned shame about this man Henderson.