Oomph

[jim_mich]

So here I sit, attempting to write some thoughts, and I wrote, "the weights smack against the wheel periodically so as to give the wheel a little omph." But as I wrote that, I was not sure of the spelling. So I jumped on line to look it up. It turns out the correct spelling is "oomph". One dictionary said that only about 15% of English speaking people would know this word.

My understanding of the word was to give extra push. One dictionary gave an example of, "Still had the oomph to pass other runners in the homestretch." I might say, "I had to give a little extra oomph to lift it off the ground."

Then I got another surprise. The word has sexual meanings that I was not aware of.
Some dictionaries gave it a second meaning, "A supermodel with the kind of oomph to make you want to run out and buy the perfume."


So... I was wondering... how many people had heard this word before. And what does it mean to you?

Maybe it would be better to use some other better known word when I describe a little extra push given to a wheel? No need to raise thoughts about humping a wheel.

[ovyyus]

...

[preoccupied]

Is Oomph an adjective that describes a measurement related to a possible verb? Please clarify. My elderly mother uses the word Oomph. I think it originates maybe from the 20's when they used a lot of made up words maybe. Maybe...

[jim_mich]

The word "oomph" came into use in America in the middle 1930's.

Oomph ... A German hard-rock group ... weird.

Oomph! - Augen auf (original German version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuLPJg2gwjQ

Oomph! - Augen auf! (Lyrics w/ full English Translation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP-5fvykK78

Oomph! - Augen auf (English version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEutzj4vLlU

[preoccupied]

I love the German stuff. Do you think Oomph was originally a German word because it's being used as the name of this German metal band?

[rlortie]

I remember the word 'oomph' as a child, it was a common household word back in the 40's and earlier.

Popeye would eat his spinach, giving him more oomph, to beat up the bad guy! It was quite common to see and hear the word in cartoons and in the funny papers.

As to what nationality we owe the word to, I have no idea!


Origin

1935-40, Americanism; imitative of the sound made during exertion, as in lifting a heavy object

Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2014.
Cite This Source
Examples for oomph

Perhaps you'll remember it when you feel that you need the extra oomph.
It's a good idea to plant them with companion plants as in the photo, to give the planting more oomph during the off season.
But so far this season, the winter storms have lacked oomph.


Ralph

[AB Hammer]

Many many times while I was young and Dad would say. Put some Oomph behind it and get it done. LOL

[jim_mich]

I just discovered a Google feature called Ngrams, where they count the number of times a word appears in books which they've scanned.

Link to Google Ngram

[daanopperman]

Hi jim_mich ,

I knew straight away what you said , we have the same word , spelled slightly different with the same meaning . " Oemf " n Sjokelade stafie gee jou oemf . " A chocolate bar give's you oomph "

[murilo]

We have here a thing called 'onomatopeia', which is to write near as the sound, and English language is well known to do this.

So, even to me, 'oomph', sure depending of phrase, will always 'say' an additional breath, a punch and an applied effort to a situation!