# Origin of the word Oops

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-oops/92989>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 12, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-oops/92989 "2001-11-12T22:16:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BuddhaDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@BuddhaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuddhaDog)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-oops/92989/1 "2001-11-12T22:16:19Z")

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I searched the archive because I think that this was covered before however I could not find the answer.

So, does anyone know when this word first came into use and what the derivative of the word Oops are and what they meant, too?

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**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-oops/92989/2 "2001-11-13T02:32:28Z")

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The key to the word _oops_ may lie in the interchangeable expressions _upsadaisy, upsidaisy_ and _oops-a-daisy_.

These phrases, originating in the 19th century, are soothing exclamations offered to a fallen child as one picks them up, possibly invoking the image of plucking a daisy from a lawn.

_Oops_ is an exclamation dating from the 1930s and it is used on dropping something (not acid obviously), tripping over (ditto), bumping into someone or something, making a mistake etc.