damfinoint.
/damˈfʌɪnəʊ/, U.S. /dæmˈfaɪnoʊ/ colloquial (originally and chiefly U.S.).
‘Damned if I know’: used (esp. in response to a query) to express ignorance of or confusion about a fact, subject, situation, etc., or to indicate that the speaker is disinclined to engage with, or indifferent to, the question.In quot. 1868 in a stereotypical representation of the English speech of a French speaker.
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1868 Portland (Maine) Daily Press 18 Feb. M. l'Editeur:—..I zen ax my vrend, ze Amrricaine [sic] shentlemans, vat ze custom man mene ven he zay ‘personelle affex’, und zen he zay ‘damfino’, und laff.
1871 Morning Republican (Little Rock, Arkansas) 22 Feb. ‘What are you going to do after you graduate?’ said a gentleman to a Williams College student. ‘Damfino,’ replied the youth; ‘preach, I s'pose.’
1975 R. J. McCaig Danger Trail 33 ‘Where's the poor girl now?’ ‘Damfino.’
2013 Newstex Blogs (Nexis) 30 Dec. As the economic pressures grow,..will the whole enchilada collapse into chaos?.. Damfino, and it will take a while anyway.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2022).
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int.1868