dam good

[pars]

Dear all!
What is the exact meaning of "dam good" in the following passage? It is from the book “Persian Gulf Command” by Ashley Jackson, p. 310. It is from a survey conducted among the American soldiers in Iran in 1941. Of course, dam is used as 'mother" for animals, but here, along with the word "good" after it, is problematic.

‘I feel like a lost person. I came here with good patriotic intentions, good ideas of the US Army but have found it the exact opposite of what I expected. I have no responsibility, I have lost all ambition all initiative and all mannerisms of good speech.’ Another soldier wrote: ‘PGSC is no dam good.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[tzfujimino]

I think it's "damn".

PGSC is no damn good.

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/damn_4

 

[PeterCW]

I think it's "damn".

PGSC is no damn good.

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/damn_4

I agree, either a typo in the book or a spelling mistake in the original.

 

[GoesStation]

I agree, either a typo in the book or a spelling mistake in the original.

Given when the text was written, it's likely a bit of euphemism. "Damn" was considered vulgar in those days.

 

[GoesStation]

They'd have used 'darn' if they wanted to avoid 'damn'.

I've seen "dam" in writing from the period.

 

[jutfrank]

Given when the text was written, it's likely a bit of euphemism. "Damn" was considered vulgar in those days.

damn was considered vulgar but dam wasn't? I can't see how that can be right. Is it not just an alternative (or mis-) spelling?

 

[GoesStation]

damn was considered vulgar but dam wasn't? I can't see how that can be right. Is it not just an alternative (or mis-) spelling?

It obfuscated the naughty word. This was a more daring spelling than d____ or various other ways writers and publishers kept vulgarities and blasphemy from sullying their pages.

Mind you, I may be mis-remembering this.

 

[Rover_KE]

The soldier may actually have written d-a-r-n. The juxtaposition of r and n in certain fonts (including this one) appears almost identical to m.

 

[GoesStation]

Now that I've re-read the text and noticed the word in question was written by "a soldier", I'm more inclined to think it's a mis-spelling.

 

[TheParser]

NOT A TEACHER


Pars, I just thought that you'd like to know that a few speakers and writers would prefer "You're no damned good." They feel that the "ed" makes it more emphatic (stronger).