The Meaning of UFF DA.....

It is a strange little word..of Swedish origin. I say it a lot actually..(maybe cause I am half Swedish ya?)

So now here is the meaning of it for ya'll:

Uff Da is not in the dictionary, but for many Scandanavians, it is a multi-purpose expression that covers a variety of situations. Pronounced OOF-DA.

Uff Da is

--the equivalent of Charlie Browns "good grief" or Homer Simpson's "doh!"

-- looking in the mirror and discovering you are not getting better, you are getting older

--trying to dance the polka to rock and roll music

--losing your wad of gum in the chicken yard

--eating hot soup when you have got a runny nose

--waking yourself up at church with your own snoring

--sneezing so hard your false teeth end up in the bread plate

--walking all the way downtown and then forgetting what you needed (or my personal favourite... making the list of stuff needed and forgetting the dang list!)

--getting swished in the face by a cow's wet tail

--eating a delicious sandwich and then discovering the spread was cat food

--arriving late at a lutefisk dinner and getting served minced ham..(for those who don't know what lutefisk is.. I will explain that later on)(but it wouldn't be a "uff da" for me!)

--when your two steady girlfriends find out about each other

--trying to look at yourself in the mirror on January 1st

--looking in your rearview mirror and seeing flashing red lights

--pushing the light switch and then remembering you forgot to pay the light bill

--opening up your latest real estate tax bill

--noticing non Norwegians at a church dinner using lefsa for a napkin

--watching what dogs do to lutefisk piled up in front of the butcher shop

--losing your coffee cup

--not being Scandanavian

Now, lefsa is a thin potatoe pancake.. used to roll up jams or sausages in.. very yummy!

Lutefisk is boiled fish.. First you remove dark skin and cut the lutefisk into serving size pieces , then place it in a cheesecloth in cold salt water and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes and then serve with melted butter. I for one am not a fan of lutefisk.. neither is my dad.. I spose our Swedish cousins would have to say we weren't "true Swedes" for that.. oh well!!!

THe Lutefisk Song: (sung to O, Christmas Tree)

O lutefisk, O lutefisk, how fragrant your aroma

O lutefisk, O lutefisk, you put me in a coma

You smell so strong, you look like glue

you taste just like an over shoe

But lutefisk, come Saturday,

I think I 'll eat you any way.

O lutefisk , O lutefisk, I put you by the doorway

I wanted you to ripen up, just like they do in Norway

A dog came by and sprinkled you

I hit him with a army shoe

O lutefisk, now I suppose

I'll eat you while I hold my nose.

O lutefisk, O lutefisk, how well I do remember

On Christmas how we'd recieve

our big treat for December

It wasn't turkey or fried ham

It wasn't even pickled spam

My mother knew there was no risk

In serving buttered lutefisk.

O lutefisk , O lutefisk, now every one discovers

That lutefisk and lefsa makes

Norwegians better lovers

Now all the world can have a ball

You're better than that Geritol!

O lutefisk, with brennevin

You make me feel like Erol Flynn.

Now the lefsa song: ( sung to Camptown Races)

Norsky ladies sing this song, uff da , uff da

Bake that lefsa all day long, all the Uff Da day

Bake it til it's almost brown, uff da, uff da

makes you jump just like a clown, all the Uff Da day.

(chorus)

gonna bake all night, gonna bake all day

I'll spend my money on potaotes and flour

to have an Uff Da day!

Went downtown for some lutefisk, uff da, uff da

the weather was so cold and brisk, all the Uff Da day

Used my lefsa for a Makinaw, uff da, uff da

Greatest jacket I ever saw

lefsa saved the day.

(chorus)

Went downtown in my Model T, uff da ,uff da

Tire went flat and I said "poor me"

It was an Uff Da day

Used that lefsa for a patch, uff da , uff da

Now I gotta bake me another batch

Oh the Uff Da day.

(chorus)

Last winter I lost my underwear, uff da, uff da

But this Norwegian did not care

all the Uff Da day

Sewed some lefsa into BVD's, uff da, uff da

Fixed me up so I don't freeze

all the Uff Da day.

(chorus)

When they ask me how I spell relief, uff da, uff da

I tell them lefsa saves me grief any Uff Da day

Don't need Rolaids or Di-Jell, uff da , uff da

Just give me lefsa and I'll get well

any Uff Da day.

(final chorus)

hopefully this explained the meaning of Uff Da and what lutefisk and lefsa were too!