You are probably thinking of On the Origin of “Oops!”: The Language and Literature of Animal Disease by Ray Malewitz claiming it came a gradual shortening of th

You are probably thinking of On the Origin of “Oops!”: The Language and Literature of Animal Disease by Ray Malewitz claiming it came a gradual shortening of the word “ooperzootics” (epizooty, a disease affecting many animals at the same time) to “oops” between 1872 and 1921. https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/origin-word-%E2%80%98oops%E2%80%99 https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/origin-word-%E2%80%98oops...