Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a euph. for damn! excl.

1839		Crim.-Con. Gaz. 30 Mar. 97/1: The New Police Agony Bill [...] In the street if heard to say ‘damn’ or ‘drat’ it / Or if sticking bills, and you’re caught at it.
1904		G.M. Hewett Rat 31: Drat that silly old birthday of mine! We always say ‘drat’ instead of ‘bother’.
1909		Eve. Star (Wash., DC) 11 Sept. 20/5: ‘Hain’t men th’ skunks, though? [...] drat ’em!’’.
c.1943		S .J. Baker Aus. Vulgarisms [t/s] 6: Damn: drat, durn, darn, damnation, dash, [crossed out: dash, tarnation].
1945		E. Rutherford 11 May diary in Garfield Our Hidden Lives (2004) 24: Drat. I’ll scratch the paper off sometime this weekend.
1972		‘Hergé’ Tintin and the Land of Black Gold 45: Drat! He’s starting to write!
1979		D. Gram Foxes (1980) 62: You haven’t? Oh, drats!
1986		Beano Comic Library No. 96 43: Drat! That’s a six he’s hit.
2000		Guardian Rev. 19 Feb. 4: Drat! I think to myself.