TARNATION Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of TARNATION is damnation —often used as an interjection or intensive—often used with in. How to use tarnation in a sentence.
What in tarnation? - Appalachian History
May 8, 2017 · "What in tarnation?" is one of a big variety of euphemistic expressions of surprise or bewilderment that arose in 18th & 19th century America.
TARNATION | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
TARNATION definition: 1. used to express anger or to add emphasis, to avoid saying "damnation": 2. used to express anger…. Learn more.
tarnation - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Oct 31, 2025 · This New Englandism has fallen out of use in New England, but is remembered for its colorfulness and is still used in the Southeastern United States as a minced oath, where …
What Does the Saying ‘What in Tarnation’ Mean? Who ... - MSN
What does the saying 'what in tarnation' mean? Literally? It means eternal damnation. According to etymonline.com, tarnation is a combination of darnation and tarnal. It was first used as a...
What in Tarnation Is ‘Tarnation’? - Mental Floss
Feb 1, 2024 · Tarnation is basically just a gentler version of damnation, much like heck is to hell and darn is to damn. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, tarnation grew out of two …
Tarnation - Etymology, Origin & Meaning - Etymonline
tarnation (n.) 1784, a colloquial American English alteration of darnation (itself a minced oath in place of damnation), influenced by tarnal (1790), a mild profanity, clipped from phrase by the …