My husband is half Swedish, I am half Norwegian. Together, we make one complete Viking warrior.

When we entered our new sailboat… I could not stop saying “Uffda.” It’s an expression we both grew up hearing and using. So we decided to call our new boat, Uffda!

According to Wikipedia: “Uffda is an expression of Norwegian origin adopted by Scandinavian-Americans in the 19th century. It is an exclamation that is relatively common in the Upper Midwest. Uffda is often used as a term for sensory overload. It can be used as an expression of surprise, astonishment, exhaustion, relief and sometimes dismay. Within Scandinavian-American culture, Uffda frequently translates into: I am overwhelmed.”

In Norwegian, uff is used when something is unpleasant, uncomfortable, hurtful, annoying, sad, or irritating. Uffda could often be translated as Oh, I’m sorry to hear that or I am sorry.

We may often be overwhelmed by Uffda, but I don’t think we will ever be sorry.  Because bad decisions do make good stories.