Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a general intensifier, lit. ‘most damnable’.

1822		Westmoreland Gaz. 5 Jan. 4/4: A person in Kendal, noted for a prefactory G—d—n, with which he introduces every sentence however trival as G—d—n fine house, G—d—n good horse .
1856		Kansas Herald of freedom (Wakarusa, KS) 5 Apr. 4/4: God damn your soul to hell, if you don’t stop I will blow your God damn brains out.
1865		Louisana Democrat (Alexandria, LA) 12 July 3/2: It did not make a God-damn bit of difference.
1877		Reports of Committees: 30th Congress 2508: He says, ‘O, you are a God-damn liar; you are all God-damned liars’.
1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 3 Aug. 2/4: He was an American. A real gawdam Yank.
1899		Southwest Reporter 51 215/1: He said you told him you cussed me out, and called me a God damn son of a bitch.
1903		A. Adams Log of a Cowboy 128: He looked me in the eye and said, ‘You’re a G-- d--- liar’.
1915		E. Pound letter 17 May in Paige (1971) 60: S--- is worse, for he not only pours out amateurish blither, but he is a rich man who does nothing – god damn nothing – for the arts.
1920		F.S. Fitzgerald ‘May Day’ in Bodley Head Scott Fitzgerald V (1963) 144: ‘What’s the matter?’ ‘Every God damn thing in the world.’.
1932		(con. 1910s) J.T. Farrell Young Lonigan in Studs Lonigan (1936) 108: He was snapped out of it by Kenny cursing the goddamn flies.
1935		C.G. Finney Circus of Dr Lao 10: Why, that’s a goddam lie!
1945		K. Amis letter 31 Dec. in Leader (2000) 30: God damn christ people can play the tpt [i.e. trumpet] in different ways.
1948		(con. 1944) N. Mailer Naked and Dead 5: With all the goddam drinkin’ Ah’ve done, Ah still can’t remember the taste of it.
1955		R. Bissell High Water 91: What’s the big god-damn idea staging a fight here in the galley?
1963		B. Hecht Gaily, Gaily 48: It’s the craziest Goddamn thing I ever heard.
1965		T. Wolfe Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (1966) 23: Back around the corner reading a god-dern detective magazine.
1968		N. Heard Howard Street 95: Get the hell outta here and let me be sick by my goddam self.
1989		C. Hiaasen Skin Tight 100: Here you are, looking for a goddam freebie.
1993		Tarantino & Avery Pulp Fiction [film script] 29: ‘What’s so funny?’ ‘Not a goddam thing.’.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 340: I never shoulda married a goddamn Paddy!
2000		Indep. on Sun. Travel 9 Jan. 5: Sonofabitch mother-humping low-down goddam bastard.
2000		T. Udo Vatican Bloodbath 37: An ass like a goddamn li’l under-ripe peach!
2006		C. Carr Our Town 280: These goddamn nigger bucks come in, and they was gonna overthrow everything.
2010		K. Richards Life 227: How frightened they are [of the young]. We win two world wars and people are shivering in their goddam boots.
2014		Pando Qly Spring 52/1: A poor Thai peasant girl in a goddam glitter disco blouse and hot pants.
2021		S.A. Crosby Razorblade Tears 35: ‘Bitch, bring me the goddamn phone’.

2. as infix.

1943		J. Mitchell McSorley’s Wonderful Saloon (2001) 11: I’m under no obligoddamnation to stand here all night.
1948		C. Himes ‘Da-Da-Dee’ in Coll. Stories (1990) 371: If you could just make up your mind, son, once and forgoddamever what it is you want from this world.
1961		G.L. Coon Meanwhile, Back at the Front (1962) 66: I will positively under no circumgoddamnstances have it.
1962		(con. WWII) J.O. Killens And Then We Heard The Thunder (1964) 326: I fought and fought [...] but they drafted me any-goddamn-how.
1968		N. Heard Howard Street 68: This is the most, baby. The abso-goddam-lute most!
1973		D. Goines Street Players 12: I don’t want you or Bill or any goddamn body in my house.
1986		E. Weiner Howard the Duck 121: Little [...] microgoddamscopic baby zucchini!
2008		J. Lansdale Leather Maiden 143: ‘You’ll be hearing from someone. My lawyer, the cops, some-goddamn-body’.