i'll be blowed
/ˌaɪl bi ˈbloʊd/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.27 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "Well, I’ll be blowed if it isn’t my old school friend, John!"
- "‘[…] Luke at that there homnibus; why, darn me—’ and now, in his eloquence at this peculiar point, my friend became more loud and powerful than ever—‘why, darn me, if maister harns enough with that there buss to put hiron on them osses feet, I’ll—be—blowed!’"
- "The sound of his voice quickened the other’s memory, his face expanded to its fullest capacity, and he also broke into a laugh. “Why, Newman—I’ll be blowed! Where in the world—I declare—who would have thought? You know you have changed.”"
- "“I’ll be blowed if it isn’t the kid,” ejaculated Wheeler."
Etymology
Probably a hyperbole expressing that the speaker is so surprised it is as if they have been blown over by a gust of wind: compare blow me down and blow me over, and also knock someone over with a feather, which have the same sense. Used as a euphemism for I'll be damned; compare also blasted.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌaɪl bi ˈbloʊd/
- British English: /ˌaɪl biː ˈbləʊd/
Usage
Inflected Forms
I'll be blown (alternative)