Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The act of damning or the condition of being damned.
- interjection Used to express anger or annoyance.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Same as
tarnal .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun archaic The act or process of
damnation orreprobation ;hell .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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What in tarnation does a fella need these doggone infernal machines for?!?
Is That Legal?: Warner Brothers on the Second Amendment 2009
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What in tarnation does a fella need these doggone infernal machines for?!?
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Well how in tarnation am I supposed to know what monster is made of?
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What in tarnation does a fella need these doggone infernal machines for?!?
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Are You????? moaaahaahaaaaaa. and what the hell in tarnation does bastion, anyways,.
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Where in tarnation are all the regular pizzerias and ice cream places in the 50’s??
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“Where in tarnation are all the regular pizzerias and ice cream places in the 50’s”
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Gay rights in Iran are at the center of this public "tarnation" campaign.
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"I hain't a swearin ':' tarnation 'hain't swearin', nor never wuz.
Sweet Cicely — or Josiah Allen as a Politician Marietta Holley 1881
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Get a clean shot so it dies on the spot without running all over tarnation with bullet holes all over it; gut it out right now and NOT in an hour or two; get the hide off it right now and prop the chest open to it cools off as quick as possible; got any snow around?
asativum commented on the word tarnation
Roughly a synonym for the world, or some equally vast and inexplicable place. Uses include "what in tarnation do you think you're up to" and "where in tarnation is my wallet?"
July 3, 2008
dontcry commented on the word tarnation
I LOVE tarnation. It always makes me think of Yosemite Sam -- and he always makes me laugh!
July 3, 2008
arby commented on the word tarnation
Interesting, Asativum! I always thought it was a euphemism for Hell.
tmyn
July 3, 2008
asativum commented on the word tarnation
Well, actually, now that I think about it, arby, you're probably right. I was just leaping to conclusions from the usage I've heard.
July 3, 2008
dontcry commented on the word tarnation
I think Hell could be described as a "vast and inexplicable place." The netherworld.
July 3, 2008
reesetee commented on the word tarnation
And yet I still haven't found my wallet. :-\
July 4, 2008
oroboros commented on the word tarnation
Tar nation. Tarn at ion.
June 5, 2015