near as damn it
1
9.4
- idiom
- NSFW
:
casi
- The model performed near as damn it the same as the previous version in all tests.
Examples
-
The answer was near as damn it what I expected, confirming my hypothesis.
-
In an area as described above, that means near as damn it 24/7 power generation.
Blog text (25) -
There's a pretty clear correlation between about 1980 and 2000, but inexplicably, the temperature, as near as damn it, stops rising while the CO2 continues to rise.
Blog text (23) -
The project is near as damn it finished, with just a few minor details left to complete.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Nearly but not completely
∞
3.0
Almost completely but not quite
915
2.7
Almost right, but not exactly
634
2.5
Almost but not completely
578
3.6
Almost complete but not fully finished
524
3.2
Near the exact number or amount
373
1.6
About a number or amount that is not exact
301
2.1
About a number or idea, not exact but close enough
1
8.4
Almost but not completely
People use it to say a number or time is close to but not exact
How Exact
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'almost exactly' is directly derivable from 'near' (nearly) combined with the comparative frame 'as ...' while 'damn' functions as an emphatic intensifier and 'it' as a filler; the expression is colloquial but compositionally transparent. A B1 learner who knows the constituents and the use of 'damn' as emphasis would reasonably infer the MWE means 'almost' or 'nearly' without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase near as damn it may come from an older saying 'near as makes no difference', where people added the strong word damn to make the idea stronger. Picture two things almost the same, and that's why the phrase means 'almost exactly' or 'as close as possible'.