Fair points and thanks for the further discussion on the meanings of “dam”. I was, of course, keeping things simple for the purposes of making a point. And I was deliberately not getting into any religious discussion but, again, simplifying in order to illustrate my meaning.

And some feel that living this life on earth, is the living damnation we weren’t saved from.

Then again, there are those that feel sin is a made-up concept, and an anythingarian might well ignore the entire notion, as not being of any particular interest.

But I take your meaning, that damned is often intermingled with other curse words – curse in the Christian sense of impugning the state of another’s soul. Curse in a more general sense, of course, is an emphatically felt desire for ill or harm to come to another.

Could an expanded title for this piece be, “Damned if you do, and dammed if you don’t?” – another, somewhat extended parody of the expression equating to “between a rock and a hard place.” The meaning of having to make a choice with no good alternative would be twisted a bit, to choosing a bad option or being blocked (by a metaphorical dam).

Then, of course, “Damned if you do, dammed if you don’t,” might refer to making one into a mother, usually of cattle, horses, etc. Or bombarded, covered, or gifted with dams. I can just see being dammed by having fourteen female sheep and their newborn lambs inflicted on me. Well, that might not be so bad. Dam being derived from “dame”, or lady.

But then, dammed might refer to decametre – and simply mean that I was measured in ten meter units (approx. 0.183).

(Sorry, my Chamber dictionary happened to be handy.)

There is the obsolete Scots use, a draughtman. Dams would be the game of draughts, damboard or dambrod would be the draughtboard.

Then there is the use of dam as a form of damn or damned. Damme /dam’(m)ee/ for damn me, or dammit /dam-(m)it/ for damn it. Or “as near as dammit”, very nearly.

Which would make dammed if you do and damned if you don’t work, but still leave you hanging for saying that so-and-so is damning your progress. Um, well, that might mean condemning your efforts to failure, instead of merely blocking your efforts. Or should I look at a dam as condemning a river to puddle and pool?

Thanks, anyway, for explaining . . lol!