- darn (1)
- "mend" c.1600, perhaps from M.Fr. darner "mend," from darne "piece," from Breton darn "piece, fragment, part." Alternative etymology is from obs. dern, from O.E. diernan "to hide," from dierne "secret," from W.Gmc. *darnjaz.
- darn (2)
- tame curse word, 1781, Amer.Eng. euphemism for damn, said to have originated in New England when swearing was a punishable offense; if so, its spread was probably infl. by 'tarnal, short for Eternal, as in By the Eternal (God), favorite exclamation of Andrew Jackson, among others. Related: Darndest (superl., 1844).