▪ I. darned, ppl. a.1
(dɑːnd)
[f. darn v.1]
1. Mended by darning.
| 1628 Wither Brit. Rememb. v. 1019 Peec'd, and neatly dearned. 1838 Dickens O. Twist iv, A suit of thread-bare black, with darned cotton stockings. 1847 Ld. Lindsay Chr. Art I. 137 A piece of darned and faded tapestry. |
2. Formed, made, or ornamented with darning-stitch.
| 1881 C. C. Harrison Woman's Handiwork i. 86 Italian punto a maglia or darned netting. 1882 Caulfeild & Saward Dict. Needlework 145/2 The Darned Embroidery most practised in Europe has been chiefly worked upon cotton. 1895 Montgomery Ward Catal. 79/1 Darned or embroidered net, 72 in. 1909 Westm. Gaz. 27 Feb. 15/2 The theatre or afternoon dress is of darned filet over satin or cashmere. Ibid. 7 Aug. 15/1 Darned net, such as was worn about 1830, or even earlier, looks very well. |
▪ II. darned, pa. pple., ppl. a.2, and adv.
Perversion of damned, in profane use. (Chiefly U.S.)
1. pa. pple.
| 1808 J. N. Barker Tears & Smiles 18 I'll be darned, sir, if I think this is the way. 1844 John Chawbacon ii. in Halliwell Dict. (1865) I. p. xv, I'll be darn'd if I know. 1847 J. K. Paulding Bucktails ii. ii. 33 I'll be darned but I guess I've lost my way. 1888 A. C. Gunter Mr. Potter of Texas xxii, He sinks back..in amazed astonishment and mutters: ‘Wall, I'm darned!’ |
2. ppl. a.
| 1815 in Amer. Speech (1928) III. 231. 1834 C. A. Davis Lett. J. Downing 41 ‘Do you want another report?’ ‘Not by a darn'd sight,’ says he. 1837–40 Haliburton Clockm. (1862) 29, I guess they are pretty considerable superfine darned fools. 1891 M. E. Ryan Told in Hills 123 She..was the ‘darndest, cutest, little customer he ever saw’. 1904 W. H. Smith Promoters xviii. 269 Darndest fellow to take things up that way. |
b. absol.
| 1844 ‘J. Slick’ High Life in N.Y. II. 233 There must al'ers be an eend tu every thing that's sweeter than common, that's the darndest of it. 1907 N. Munro Daft Days iv. 31 This is a funny dog... Isn't He the darnedst? 1960 Farmer & Stockbreeder 8 Mar. 147/1 The public are eating between four and five eggs each week and the Egg Board are doing their darndest to increase this figure still further. |
3. adv.
| 1807 L. Beach Jonathan Postfree 23 Drove down old Squire Herdy's cattle—darn'd ugly creatures to drive. 1822 Woodworth Deed of Gift 45, I have taken a liking to you, 'cause you are so darn'd pretty. 1848 Lowell Biglow P. i. xiii, Ef you're arter folks o' gumption, You've a darned long row to hoe. 1888 Harper's Mag. July 323/2 In Colorado the man who tells the first story has a darned poor show. 1922 S. Lewis Babbitt v. 57 Machine looks brand new now—not that it's so darned old, of course; had it less 'n three years. 1962 J. Ludwig in R. Weaver First Five Years 19 By God, she tells herself, this is a darned good face. |