So I'm from Minnesota, and while most of our English is fine, we're known for a few — shall we call them — adaptations. One of these is the phrase "oh for <insert adjective here>".
It's used as an exclamation if I have my terminology down (which I might not). For example, maybe I pull out my scarf (it's Minnesota, remember). My grandma thinks it's a cute scarf, so she says, "oh for cute!"
Obviously it's a compliment (in this case), and the meaning is clear enough, but I'm wondering if (1) it's grammatically correct, and (if not), if there's a way to stretch the English language to make it not quite correct maybe, but almost fit in.
Best Answer
I've lived in Minnesota for over 30 years. Here is my theory about "Oh for cute" (although I have scant evidence to back it up). Years ago, I often heard the phase "Oh for cute" with a pause between between the words "for" and "cute," as if the person were saying "Oh, for ... cute!" I believe the missing words are "... goodness sake, that's ...." The speaker at first intends to say "Oh, for goodness sake, that's cute!" But after getting the "Oh, for" out, they are overcome with emotion and cut straight to the adjective, "cute." Over time "Oh, for goodness sake that's cute!" morphed to "Oh, for ... cute!" and morphed again into "Oh for cute!"