Have you ever encountered something so strange that you just don\u2019t know how to react? Perhaps you have experienced a jarring event that has left you dazed and confused. If so, then an apt phrase to utter would be what in tarnation? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n
Tarnation is a phrase that most remember being spoken by Yosemite Sam during his weekly cartoon run. The phrase is an explication used to express anger, surprise, or utter confusion. Though modern times consider the word pretty tame, it was considered a mild form of swearing during its heyday.<\/strong><\/p>\n A more in-depth meaning of tarnation or tarnation is that means something is being damned or reprobated. It can also stand for someone who is a troublemaker or a bad seed. It is an old-fashioned mild curse word akin to saying \u201cwhat the hell\u201d, or \u201cwhat the heck\u201d in modern language.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat in the tarnation do you think you are doing with my pot of chili?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat in the tarnation are you talking about Sally?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat in the tarnation is going on over that hill there, that\u2019s a bonafide fire!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s all that noise? What in the tarnation is going on over there in the saloon?\u201d<\/p>\n Tarnation originated way back in the 18th century. The word is derived from \u201cdarnation\u201d. This word itself is an offshoot of the word damnation. Tarnation is also connected with the curse word \u201ctarnal\u201d, which further comes from the word eternal. In early times, the word had a religious context with negative connotations. Though the 1784 derivative of damnation was used for a while, it is the more recent usage that most people remember.<\/p>\n Yosemite Sam was first displayed on the screen in 1945. This cartoon character was produced by Warner Bros in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoon series. The character is the epitome of Yosemite National Park and was set to be the natural nemesis of Bugs Bunny. He is considered to be an outlaw who is very aggressive, or in some circles, a temper tantrum-throwing cowboy. He carried two big guns on his hips and was always looking for ways to capture Bugs Bunny. The reason that Yosemite Sam is so memorable is due to some of his catchphrases. One of the most memorable is \u201cwhat in the tarnation\u201d This is where most people attribute the phrase in modern times. He is also known for saying \u201cI ain't o namby-bamby!\u201d and \u201cI'm the meanest, roughest, toughest hombre that's ever crossed the Rio Grande!\u201d<\/p>\nExample Usage<\/h2>\n
Origin<\/h2>\n