![]() University of Minnesota Etymologist Anatoly Liberman explained in on NPR: It is the linguistic sibling of “ay carumba” or “oy vey” or “good grief.” In fact, “uff da” is probably the best, if not only, Norwegian expression known to Norwegian Americans. It kind of means “drats!,” “oops!,” “ouch!,” “Oh no!,” or “Okay!.” It has become a mark of Scandinavian roots or an indication that you have lived in Minnesota for quite a long time. ![]() Uff da can be used to express surprise, relief, exhaustion, astonishment, and dismay. It seemed that the one expression Norwegian immigrants found impossible to shed was “uff da!” When immigrants came to the United States from Norway one of the ways they endeavored to become “Americans” was to speak only English in the presence of children. The Swedish exclamation ojdå is similar in meaning and usage. Uff da! (sometimes also spelled huffda, uff-da, uffda, uff-dah, oofda, ufda, ufdah, oofta, or uf daa) is common in the Upper Midwestern states. ![]()
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