Uff da!

Emma Claire after school the other day: "Uff da!"
Me: "Emma Claire, where did you learn that?"
Emma Claire: "at high school."

First of all, when did I start dropping my baby off at high school?... Secondly, it hit this southerner at this moment that my little girl is a Minnesotan - born here and to be raised here. This is my personal favorite "Minnesota" word. The first time (and most every time since) that I heard it, I just have to giggle. For my Southern readers that are unfamiliar, I took the liberty to Wikipedia it...

"Uff da is often used in the Upper Midwest as a term for sensory overload. It can be used as an expression of surprise, astonishment, exhaustion, relief and sometimes dismay. For many, Uff da is an all-purpose expression with a variety of nuances, and covering a variety of situations. The expression has lost its original connotation, and it is increasingly difficult to specify what it means now in America. Within Midwestern culture, Uff da frequently translates into: I am overwhelmed. It has become a mark of Scandinavian roots, particularly for people from North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota."