Boy, howdy!
I’d been contentedly looking at myself from the inside.
Then my alarm exploded at 4 a.m. I usually wake up before my alarm sounds, but not this morning. First, I thought the disruption was part of a nightmare.
I couldn’t find a crevice to shove the shrieking alarm, so I got out of bed. I can sleep through anything that doesn’t wake me, but the alarm gave me escape velocity. I’ve often stumbled out of bed before I’ve ceased sleeping, but not this time. The alarm clock had a sound that could pierce concrete.
I said, “Uffda!” It’s sometimes spelled uff da, huffda, uff-da, oof-da, uff-dah, oofda, ufda, oof-dah, ufdah, oofta or ufta. Uffda means everything and nothing in Minnesota and other parts of the Upper Midwest where it’s a stereotypical expression. The phrase is used to express surprise, annoyance, relief, exhaustion, disappointment, astonishment, exasperation and dismay. People use the word when things are good and when things are bad. We say “uffda” to emphasize a point or to remark upon strange occurrences or frivolous news. To comment on a tasty meal or to signify approval or disapproval of a tall story. I often use it to express befuddlement as I did after my alarming attack. Oh, for not fun. I told myself, it could be worse, you betcha. Those encouraging words are verbal caffeine.
Some claim uffda was invented to give one something to say after having ingested lutefisk. Everyone agrees it’s a magical and powerful word, even if it cannot be used to defray medical costs or in lieu of taxes.
Do you think Rip Van Winkle had bad morning breath? No, yeah (meaning yes) or yeah, no (meaning no)? I’m going to say, “No, yeah.” If there had been anyone prone to uffdaisms near him, they’d have been uttered.
I say “uffda” when I can’t find the hour of sleep I’d lost due to daylight saving time’s insistence we spring forward.
I remember getting a temporary tattoo as one of the “prize in every box” Cracker Jack giveaways. I wet the paper and transferred an image to my arm. Voila! It wasn’t rocket science or even good use of my time. Those tattoos didn’t last long. I smudged one. It was grotesque. I showed it to a neighbor girl a few years my senior. I expected her to say, “Oh, for cute,” but she said “Uffda!” instead.
A genuine Norwegian from Norway told me that “uff” is an exclamation similar to “ouch” “oops” or “oh, no” in English and I have no reason to doubt him. “Da” in Norwegian means “then.” He denied saying “Uffda,” and said I’d have to search a long time to find a Norwegian who used it regularly. A reference book attributes the word’s origin to Norwegian settlements in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
When is it appropriate to use this powerful word? Anytime you feel like it, for crying out loud.
When you hear Ole and Lena jokes.
When your snoring wakes you in church.
When the repair on your car was pretty spendy.
When trying to get out of a beanbag chair.
When you lose at duck, duck, gray duck because they called the game duck, duck, goose.
When you encounter a foul odor.
When you empty your pocket and find something you’d needed a month ago.
When you discover the sandwich spread you used was cat food.
When you are unable to find a relative’s grave because you’re at the wrong St. Olaf’s Cemetery.
When a farm tractor holds up traffic.
When you contemplate the day they stopped putting toys in breakfast cereal boxes.
When you reach under the table to pick something off the floor and smash your head on the way back up.
When you work at the front desk of a Best Western hotel and whenever you answer the phone, “Best Western,” the caller says, Gunsmoke.
When you put both contacts in the same eye.
When cars drive by your home with their music so loud it affects the weather.
When you pull up to the gas pumps and don’t realize you’re on the wrong side until you get out of your car.
When your tater tot hotdish has potato chips instead of tater tots.
And when you’re too tired to say, “Uffda!” just say “Uff.” We’ll know what you mean, dontcha know.
Well, I’d better letcha go.
Nancy Maxwell says
Reading this a bit late. I was looking up the Uffda because I use it alot and no one else I know does. Born & raised in Minnesota, but a transplant to Utah.
I laughed thru the article remembering my youth & the familial language traits of my family & friends. It’s strange, but after many years away from Minnesota people say I still have a noticeable accent. My reply is thankyou or Uffda depending on my mood.
Chuck Czapski says
Thank you 2024 for a good2023. Offta !!!
Chuck C. says
December31 2023
Chuck says; It has been a near hapless year for me. I am glad 2024 is only [ 2 } hours away. OFFTA TO ALL> GOD BLESS.
Josh Skadberg says
I have a uffda sticker on my 2004 Ford Ranger. I’m originally from North Dakota and am Norwegian on my dad’s side. My last name is Skadberg.
Jan Dzwonkowski says
I am researching info about the word “uffda” for my next Sons of Norway newsletter and came across your article about uffda. Being of Norwegian ancestry and living in Minnesota, this is a word I’ve known and used all my life as have many of my “rellies” (relatives). It’s a word that works for most every situation, easy to pronounce (beats most swear words) and pretty easy to spell. God dagen.
P.S. My married name isn’t very “Norwegian” but my maiden name is.
Matt says
I’m howling!
Sheryl says
Born and raised in California and I have no idea when or why I started saying this, but I have for as long as I can remember and it never occurred to me that it was a sort of vernacular expression ’til now. How funny! I always just thought of it as just a universal interjection like “wow,” or something, but I guess it’s a lot more regional than I’d realized! Lol! Fun read! 🙂
Anonymous says
Born and raised in California and I have no idea when or why I started saying this, but I have for as long as I can remember and it never occurred to me that it was a sort of vernacular expression ’til now. How funny! I always just thought of it as just a universal interjection like “wow,” or something, but I guess it’s a lot more regional than I’d realized! Lol! Fun read! 🙂
Ann says
Native Norwegian here! Saw someone I presumed to be american use this expression on twitter and immediately had to google why to sate my curiosity. But I want to comment on one detail that both this journal and another article I read claimed – which is that this phrase is not commonly heard in Norway. In my experience this is just not true. I hear it all the time. Maybe it’s a locality thing and certain places use it more than others? Or a generational thing? Either way, “uff da”, “uff-a-meg”, “uff” and “huff” is commonly used to express exasperation, frustration, disappointment, and also compassion and sympathy when receiving bad news or seeing a kid trip and fall. Just thought I’d add that for anyone who might have an above average interest in etymology. 🙂
Brian from Arizona says
Thanks for your comments! I’ve always wondered if Norwegians and fellow Scandinavians laugh at how their languages have been selectively pulled into localized American slang and given crazy new meanings!
I just discovered Fargo, the television series, and am laughing my head off at how people speak American English in Minnesota and the Dakotas!
Piper says
Al Batt is absolutely hilarious! I haven’t read anything this clever in ages. Uffda! Thanks for the belly laughs 🙂
Greg Lundy says
I grew up hearing and saying that in MPLS and other parts of the state. I still use this and enjoy the befuddling looks I get. My kids just shake their heads and know that this utterance is a part of me. I also like to employ the expression, “STUPid”, when something is really stupid. Loving this part of my past still won’t make me move back though. I visit as often as I can.
Virginia says
I heard Garrison Keillor say “Uff da!” several times during one show of _Lake Wobegone_.
Indeed! There seem to be many times on that show in which “Uff da!” is appropriate to say!
My Dad and I (we lived in Kentucky) saw “Uff da!” on a license plate, and we would both exclaim it in good times and bad. I would exclaim it at random to lighten the mood. (And then giggle as it jangled one of Mom’s nerves!)
Dad would say it when he came up the basement steps, as he didn’t have much breathing capacity.
We exclaimed our newfound phrase over and over one day so that Mom said, “Quit saying that!” truly, that would have been an appropriate time for her to say it!
I love to say it!