Etymology

ooh la la

Today it means: A reply implying pretentiousness; often in response to another person's use of a big word, especially a loanword that English got from French. Full definition →

French oh là là
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The story

  1. French · derived fromoh là là
  2. English todayooh la la

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.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.