[ColinWright]

Is this what you mean?

    Uff da (sometimes also spelled huffda, uff-da, uffda,
    uff-dah, oofda, ufda, ufdah, oofta, uf daa, or ufta)
    is an expression of Norwegian origin adopted by
    Scandinavian-Americans in the 19th century.

    ...

    The expression has lost its original connotation, and
    it is increasingly difficult to specify what it means
    now in America. Within Scandinavian-American culture,
    Uff da frequently translates into: *I am overwhelmed.*

[klunger]

Wow. I am not sure what all the downvotes are about. I am an American who is married to a Norwegian and have lived in Norway for a few years now. I never used the phrase when I lived in the US, but picked it up here.

"Ufda" is a phrase commonly used here to mean something along the lines of "that's too bad" or "how unfortunate," with undertones of sympathy (like when you would say "ouch"). The spelling is kind of besides the point, because it is generally a spoken phrase.

But if folks want to get really picky about authenticity, and apparently they do, "Ufda" is how my Norwegian friends spell it in text messages. Although, I am sure alternate spellings would be acceptable too.

I meant it here to say simply that it was too bad this guy got arrested, with undertones of sympathy and a bit of Scandinavian solidarity. Norway and Sweden are only jokingly rivals, but are actually very friendly.

Something obviously got lost in translation, probably due to the American-centric nature of this forum.