# What does "Uff Da" mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583 "2006-11-15T22:24:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/1 "2006-11-15T22:24:28Z")
from the context in which I’ve seen it, I gather it’s some sort of scandanavian term, but that’s all I’ve got. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/2 "2006-11-15T22:39:01Z")
[Uff da](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uff_da) ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/3 "2006-11-15T22:42:38Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper] from the context in which I’ve seen it, I gather it’s some sort of scandanavian term, but that’s all I’ve got. 😕 [/QUOTE] In actual use (as I learned while I was a child in MN) it’s roughly equivalent to “whew” – a sort of verbal grunt of exertion. Imagine lifting a heavy box.. _uff-da_. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/4 "2006-11-16T02:36:30Z")
Uff da is how Norwegians say oy vey. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/5 "2006-11-16T02:39:05Z")
a very handy multipurpose word. the scan. version of the yiddish oy vey. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/6 "2006-11-16T04:38:28Z")
Yup, Scandanavian. It’s a direct equivalent to “Oh Jeez”, which is kinda dumb since the Norse-types use both equally. Personally I think they just do that to show off their expaned vocabulary. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/7 "2006-11-16T15:20:36Z")
Thanks for the education. I thought it was a toast. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/8 "2006-11-17T00:51:45Z")
i could be a toast. after a day of helping your friend move, you are tired out, drapped around the boxes and covered furniture. you all lift a can or bottle of beverage and say, “uff da!”. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/9 "2006-11-17T02:42:06Z")
Maybe you’re thinking of the Greek exclamation _[Opa!](http://www.greekfestnola.com/speakgreek/opa.html)_ ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/10 "2006-11-17T04:38:14Z")
Although Wikipedia mentions “‘Uff da’ is still commonly used in contemporary Norwegian” I have been told by a couple of Norwegians that it is not in common use. At least this was the case in the Surnadal area, a bit southeast of Trondheim. The friends I met there said that Uff da was mostly heard by Americans returning to the mother country and although known, was archaic. If the friends are to be believed, Norwegians in that area stopped using it in the early 1900s. It is, however, a big part on Minnesotan culture and has one variant “Ish da.” Person 1: “And then he fell face first in the cow manure.” Person 2: “Uff da!” Person 3: “Ish da!!” ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/11 "2006-11-17T14:13:10Z")
Well this Norwegian would agree with Wikipedia. Not completely, but that might be just poor self-knowledge. I do know I’m likely to use it in the sympathetic sense. Almost any response to someone’s tale of injury or accident or hurt feelings or … is likely to start with Uffda. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/12 "2006-11-17T19:41:33Z")
You can’t escape [it](http://www.cafepress.com/uffdaware) (nor seemingly anything else Scandinavian) around here. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/13 "2006-11-17T19:54:57Z")
> [@](#): > > **Originally posted by linked article** > The term has been heard among men when a particularly attractive woman enters a room. This is how I’ve heard it used, and used it myself. But then the very next sentence: > [@](#): > > Conversely, many Roto-rooter and septic system repair trucks have “Uff da” proudly painted on the back. WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/14 "2006-11-18T04:25:52Z")
[QUOTE=naita] Well this Norwegian would agree with Wikipedia. [/QUOTE] Well I’m going to believe a living, breathing, posting Doper from Norway over my memory of a conversation from 15 years ago. I stand/sit corrected, although it may be possible that for the district I was in, uff da is not widely used any more. I confess that I am not sure any more. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/15 "2006-11-18T04:51:20Z")
[QUOTE=vertizontal] [Uff da](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uff_da) [/QUOTE] I was wondering what [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7976031&postcount=47) post meant! SDMB! What a great place for serendipity and synchronicity! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/16 "2006-11-18T05:05:07Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] I was wondering what [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7976031&postcount=47) post meant! SDMB! What a great place for serendipity and synchronicity! 🙂 [/QUOTE] You know, it never really occurred to me that that would confuse anyone. I only lived in Minnesnowta for two years, after all…I didn’t think I assimilated _that_ quickly! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2006, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-uff-da-mean/380583/17 "2006-11-19T08:33:01Z")
“Uff” is a multi-purpose exclamation, and “da” is a general-purpose intensifier or space-filler. The result being that Norwegians say “uff da” a lot more often than most of them think they do 😛 Think of the phrase as meaning “Oops”, “Oh dear”, or “Whew”, depending on context.