ooh la la en · INTJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /u.lɑˈlɑ/ (US)
- /ˈuː.læ.læ/ (UK)
- /ˈuː.læ.lɑː/ (UK)
Etymology
French oh là là / ouh là là, an exclamation of surprise, concern, or dismay. The French exclamation lacks the connotations of the English, either of snobbery or raciness; these emerged in English owing to stereotypes about the French.
Meanings
-
A reply implying pretentiousness; often in response to another person's use of a big word, especially a loanword that English got from French.
Oh, they were serving croque-monsieurs, now were they? Ooh la la.
-
An exclamation of surprise, sometimes with strong sexual connotations.
And when the British respond to a risqué joke with ‘ooh la la’ there’s a sauciness implied that just isn’t there in the original French words, risqué meaning ‘risked’ (a verb, not an adjective) and oh là là a great many things from ‘wow’ to ‘oh dear’, none of them very sexy.
2016 October 13, Matthew Anderson, “The foreign words that seem like English – but aren’t”, in BBC, archived from the original on 14 Nov 2020:Well, what are we gonna tell your mama? / What are we gonna tell your pa? / What are we gonna tell our friends / When they say, "Ooh la la!"
1957, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, “Wake Up Little Susie”, performed by The Everly Brothers:Ooh la la, monsieur, you do have big muscles after all.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| oo-la-la | alternative | lexicographic |