“Oh-fer-cute!” I exclaimed when I saw photos of my friend’s daughter sporting flower-rimmed sunglasses a frilly dress.
Last week my phone vibrated with the arrival of a new text. “You’re in the Dells?! Oh for fun!”
Recently, while sitting at a coffee shop across from a friend from my hometown in Indiana, I said, “Oh-fer nice.” I was met with a puzzled expression and silence.
“Do people really say that in North Dakota?” she asked. At that, I knew it was time to serve up a lesson in Hotdish vocabulary. While “oh for…” is commonplace in NoDak talk, it’s not commonly used across the board—not even in other parts of the Midwest.
This got me thinking. Maybe it’s time for She’s Not From Around Here to open up the proverbial Hotdish Dictionary to expand upon using this useful turn of phrase. You’ll find the entry for “Oh for…” after “Midsummer,” but if you get to “Uffda,” you’ve gone too far. It shares a page with “Oh, I s’pose,” and “Ope.”
Here’s the “official” entry:
Oh for…—often pronounced “Oh-fer.” In the Upper Midwest, particularly in regions with strong Scandinavian and German influences like Minnesota, North Dakota, and parts of Wisconsin, the phrase “oh for” is commonly used to underscore a sentiment, or as an exclamation of appreciation, surprise, or mild exasperation.
It’s important to note that the expression is never spoken as two separate words: Oh. For. Proper pronunciation requires the speaker to run the words together. The “Oh” is a long vowel sound. The word “for” is never said like the number “four,” but rather comes out sounding like “fur.” Say the two parts quickly together: Oh for. Oh fur. Oh-fer. Now you’ve got it.
It’s a versatile phrase. Something can be “Oh-fer fun,” “Oh-fer cute,” or even “Oh-fer sad.” Summer is a great season to practice your Oh-fer usage. Let’s walk through a couple examples.
While taking a leisurely stroll through Oak Park you may see a puppy trotting along next to its owner. At this point you should say, “Look, he’s so fluffy. Oh-fer cute!”
If a friend tells you they are headed to the Lake this weekend, the appropriate response is, “Oh-fer fun!” On the flip side, if a friend mentions their Lake plans have been cancelled you should wrinkle your forehead and solemnly reply, “Oh-fer sad.”
Upon receiving a surprise bouquet of flowering weeds from your child you could reply, “Oh-fer sweet!” Or, if your husband washes the car you might say, “Oh-fer nice—it looks amazing!”
Hotdish Land’s “Oh-fer” is the lesser-known, but very charismatic cousin of “Oh for sure!” But it carries no relation to the cranky “Oh, for goodness sake,” which often comes with intense exasperation and an eyeroll.
Like many things in the Upper Midwest, it’s more about subtly and context than the words themselves. Be oh-fer brave next time you see something oh-fer cute and say something oh-fer nice. You just may discover that this is your very favorite Hotdish-ism.
For more stories of life in Hotdish Land, or to work with me, join me online at AmyAllender.com, on Instagram @HeyMinot or @amy_allender, or Facebook @amyallender/blog.
