Oofta

Oofta, also known as Uff Da is a popular multifunctional exclamation, used predominantly in the Midwest region of the United States, especially by those boasting a Norwegian lineage.

It may express multiple things, ranging from surprise, annoyance as well as The Big Sad, similar to the expression Big Oof.

“Oofta” was brought to the United States in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, by the Norwegian immigrants, who have already been exclaiming Uff Da for decades.

The phrase itself is not expressing all that much: Uff or Oof is an emotional exhalation, while Da is the Norwegian word for “then”.

“Oofta” started to form from the original expression in the early decades of the 1900’s, when the millions of Norwegian immigrants started integrating with the locals of the Midwest, forming their own lingo, which included the titular phrase.

Although “Oofta” is not recognized or used across the entirety of the United States, it may still very well be encountered in the Midwest and even understood elsewhere, especially with the aid of context.

Online, the term has birthed debates whether it is correctly spelled Uff Da or Oofta, as well as inquiries as to its origin on forums and message boards.

“Oofta” was first defined on Urban Dictionary on March 24^th, 2004, with several other entries following in the subsequent years.