Uff da explained

Uff da (; sometimes also spelled oof-da, oofda, oofala, oof-dah, oofdah, huffda, uff-da, uffda, uff-dah, ufda, , or uf daa) is an American Scandinavian exclamation or interjection used to express dismay, typically upon hearing bad news. Of Norwegian origin, the phrase was brought by Scandinavian Americans to the Upper Midwest, New England, and Pacific Northwest regions of the United States during the 19th century, where its meaning was broadened to express also surprise, astonishment, exhaustion, or relief.

Danish and Norwegian usage

In Danish and Norwegian language, (Danish and older Norwegian spelling) or (current Norwegian spelling) is a mild and polite vernacular interjection used when something is unpleasant, uncomfortable, hurtful, annoying, sad, or irritating.^{[1] [2]} The word is an onomatopoeia^[3] corresponding to English oof, Dutch and German . Other similar interjections exist in Danish, e.g. or, and Norwegian, e.g. . may be used in Norwegian as a response when hearing something lamentable (but not too serious), and can be translated as "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that".^[4] is derived from Old Norse meaning 'then' in this context (similar to e.g. the response "ok, then"); both and English then (from Old English,,) are derived from Proto-Germanic * ('at that (time), then').^[5] The Swedish exclamations and are similar in meaning, with Swedish corresponding to Norwegian .^{[6] [7] [8]} Uff is a Swedish word with the same meaning as the Norwegian word, it is documented in writing from 1770. ^{[9] [10]}

North American usage

Uff da is a marker of Scandinavian heritage, predominantly heard in the upper Midwest, which has a significant population with Scandinavian roots. It also is used throughout the Pacific Northwest, particularly in the Washington cities of Ballard^[11] and Stanwood.^[12] Its variety of meanings let it substitute for common obscenities.^[13] Within Scandinavian-American culture, uff da frequently translates to "I am overwhelmed", somewhat similar to the Yiddish phrase oy vey.

It has also been applied to places and events, such as:

• Uff-Da Airport, located in Stoughton, Wisconsin.^[14]
• Uffda Fest!, an annual event held in Spring Grove, Minnesota.^[15]
• Uff Da Days, an annual event held in Ostrander, Minnesota.^[16]
• Uffda Day Fall Festival, an annual event held in Rutland, North Dakota.^{[17] [18]}
• The Uff-Da Shoppe, located in Stanwood, Washington.^[19]
• Uff Da! Sign Store, located in Wausau, Wisconsin. ^[20]

See also

• Culture of Minnesota
• Culture of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
• Culture of Wisconsin
• List of English words of Norwegian origin

Further reading

• Allen, Harold B. (1973). The Linguistic Atlas of the Upper Midwest, Volume 1, (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press), . OCLC 658192.
• Haugen, Einar (1957) Beginning Norwegian: a grammar and reader (George G.Harrap & Co Ltd)
• Lovoll, Odd S. (1998) The Promise Fulfilled: A Portrait of Norwegian Americans Today (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press)
• Mohr, Howard (1987) How to talk Minnesotan : a visitor's guide (New York, NY: Penguin Books)
• Book: Stangland , E. C. . (Dorset Press). 978-0880295215. Red Strangland's Norwegian Home Companion. 1987.
• Book: Stangland , E. C. . (Norse Press). 978-0960269242. Uff Da Jokes. 1988. registration.
• News: True blue North? You betcha!. July 25, 2002. Clark. Jayne. USA Today.

External links

• Kinnes, Tormod. "Uff Da: Norwegian-American expressivity"
• "Uff da!" Archived from lawzone.com/half-nor/uffda.htm
• "Rock Bend Folk Festival 2007 – Al Batt". YouTube.

Notes and References

1. Web site: uf. Den Danske Ordbog. 3 March 2021.
2. Web site: Søk i Bokmåls- og Nynorskordboka. 2009-09-19.
3. Web site: uff. Det Norske Akademis ordbok. 3 March 2021.
4. Haugen, Einar (1985). Norwegian English dictionary : a pronouncing and translating dictionary of modern Norwegian [Bokmål and Nynorsk], with a historical and grammatical introduction. University of Wisconsin.
5. Web site: da. Det Norske Akademis ordbok. 4 March 2021.
6. Web site: Uff Da defined. Sons of Norway Blog. March 25, 2010. March 1, 2019.
7. Web site: 'Uff da!' – A Piece of Norway in the U.S. . Thor News. Anette Broteng Christiansen. April 18, 2012. March 1, 2019.
8. Web site: ojdå. Wiktionary. March 1, 2019.
9. Web site: uff SAOB svenska.se . 2023-02-20 . sv-SE.
10. Web site: uff SAOL svenska.se . 2023-02-20 . sv-SE.
11. Web site: Ballard. Your Destination Guide to Seattle.
12. Web site: You can find me where the lutefisk is. 21 October 2010.
13. Web site: Vikings bumble in draft? Uff da. Bismarck Tribune. Rob Lein. 2009-09-19.
14. Web site: Uff-Da Airport. airnav.com. 28 February 2019. March 1, 2019.
15. Web site: UffDa Fest. Spring Grove Lions Club. March 1, 2019.
16. Web site: Uff Da Days. Ostrander, MN. March 1, 2019.
17. Web site: Uffda Day. rutlandnd.com. March 1, 2019.
18. Martin, Jonathan, "Court Battle Shifts the Political Terrain for Senators in the Heartland", New York Times, October 7, 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
19. Web site: Uff Da Shoppe: Scandinavian Gifts. 2022-11-19. www.uffdashoppe.com.
20. Web site: Uff Da! Sign Store.