Third person singular or plural of 'goldurn,' meaning to curse mildly or express frustration in a circumspect way.
From 'goldarn,' the euphemistic oath mentioned above, conjugated in the third person. It entered American colloquial speech as a genteel alternative to genuine profanity in the 1800s.
People used to say 'goldurn it' the way modern people might say 'dang it'—it's a window into how Victorian-era Americans tried to follow rules against swearing while still venting their frustrations.
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