Oops, I Did It Again

"Oops" is a curious little word, isn't it?  If you say it enough times, it sounds sort of like alien gibberish (I know you're saying it over and over in your head right now).  Whether good or bad (but usually bad, real bad), this one little word can really cause a stir when used effectively in certain situations. 

It has definitely made its mark in music, movies, and television.

In 1959, Frank Sinatra told us to keep our chins up when he made reference to a little old ant who moved a rubber tree plant in the song High Hopes.  If you're feeling discouraged about what you can or can't accomplish, just remember "oops, there goes another rubber tree plant." 

In 1993, Tag Team created a variation of oops with "Whoop, there it is!" and a new catch phrase was born.  And it is fondly remembered in the popular Christmas film Elf, where Buddy drinks a little too much "syrup" and goes nuttybananas dancing in the "mail room scene."

In 2000, a young Brittany Spears turned the word "oops" into a flirtation slogan with her pop hit "Oops, I Did it Again."



And of course, we can never forget all the oopses this guy generated.  "Oops...Did I do that?"

There are little oopses.  Like dropping your phone.


And there are big ones.  Like dropping your phone in the toilet. 


And you all know the oops that's spoken in question format accompanied by puppy dog eyes and a pity look.  Which translates into "Am I going to get in trouble for this?"



If you add different endings and say it in a high pitched voice, it becomes innocent and apologetic. 

• Like when your toddler finds the little individual tabs of butter that were left out and now your kitchen floor is waxed with Land-o-lakes.  Oopsie. 
• Or when you left your husband's pants in the dryer a little too long and now he's the proud new owner of size 5T skinny jeans that are also appropriate flood attire.  Oopsie-doodle.

There's also the passive-aggressive oops.  Said or thought in situations where it's clearly not meant.

• Like when you're in the store, trying like hell to make it fast so your baby keeps his outbursts at a reasonable decibel, and some busybody refuses to yield her cart, and she blatantly bumps into yours, bull-dozing her way past you, sneeringly saying "oops" even though you know she's shooting daggers from her eyes.  Hopefully, she was headed to the pharmacy for some sort of simmer the eff down prescription.  (Yeah, the Mama bear in me gets saucy and uses expletives when someone is aggressive anywhere near my baby cub)
• Or when the office she-devil leaves the bathroom stall with her skirt tucked into her underpants and you decide not to bring it to her attention. 

Then there's the oops that's really poops.  But that's another story.  For another day.

Recently, I've added a new type of oops.  It's dedicated to all the moms out there, and it's appropriately entitled the "momoops."

momoops [mah moops]
(noun) a mom blunder, usually occurring at an inopportune time, while children are present.
(interjection) an exclamation of surprise, such as "momoops-a-dilly!" or "momoops-a-daisy!"

I can tell you, I've made lots of these during these last few months. 

I won't take the time to list them for reasons a and b. 
a) to save face, and b) I don't think google has that much space.

I'm afraid I might be turning into a borderline oopsaholic.  I'll check into that this weekend.  But for now, I'll keep singing the song that will be stuck in my head all day.  My apologies if it's stuck in yours too.

"...Cause she's got high hopes, she's got high hopes, she's got high apple pie in the sky hopes...oops, there's goes another problem kerplop."