Frankly, My Dear
Sayings come and go, but "don't give a damn" keeps rolling along.Unlike many emphatic terms, it is not a vulgarism. Damn is a dictionary word with several meanings.
When used emphatically, it alludes to an old Hindu coin that was used extensively in India, the value of which fluctuated greatly throughout the centuries. It reached a high of one-fortieth of a rupee and a low of one-thousandth of a rupee. When the damn was at its lowest, British troopers, because they could get little for it, used its name to describe valueless things or facts. The saying, because of its succintness, has become the leader of forceful speech wherever English is spoken.
Common Phrases And Where They Come From, Myron Korach
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posted by Michelle at
5:37 PM
3 Comments:
I guess it means, "I don't care." Has it nothing to do with damnation?
By
dedwarmo, at 5/01/2006 10:57 AM
Apparently not. Syntax would seem to support the monetary explanation. But I always associated it with damnation. Now goddam would be damnation I would sumise, but the n is dropped.
By
twominutetrek, at 5/01/2006 2:57 PM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
By
James Baker, at 6/15/2006 4:54 AM
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