Meaning
What does Dang It mean?
Dang It is a widely prevalent minced oath, used as an exclamation, expressing frustration, anger, or annoyance.
Other minced oaths include Geez Louise and Jumping Jehoshaphat.
Origin
What's the origin of Dang It?
Although the exact origin of the interjection is not known “Dang it” serves as the minced oath for Damn it or God Damn It, used to condemn something to a sentence in hell.
It first started appearing in colloquial contexts around the end of the 18th century, predominantly in the United States, although it also had a minor presence in England.
Spread & Usage
How did Dang It spread?
“Dang it” started gaining a wider prevalence in the United States during the 19th century, spreading westward as the US was manifesting its destiny.
Over the 20th century, it started to become less and less fashionable in cosmopolitan areas, although it remained widely used in rural regions of America.
The phrase was first defined on Urban Dictionary on January 23rd, 2003, with several other entries appearing on the site since then.
