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Fri 4 Jul, 2003 12:08 pm
In the etymology dictionary SNAFU is defined as "situation Normal All Fucked Up" circa 1941. Incorrect. SNAFU was created by US soldiers in Europe during WWII and at that time it meant "Situation Normal, All Fouled Up". The phrase changed to "Fucked Up" by the soldiers serving in Vietnam: exact date unknown.
The G.I's of WWII would have been appalled at the current usage, having quit a bit more class as a society back then. They were still getting used to the phrase "Mother ******", which was the big titulating curse phrase of the time
still - a SNAFU is still a SNAFU.
"All nine yards," is also a military creation. Do you know what it means? c.i.
OK. Hehe..check out this example of the
SNAFU principle...
Homonculus, First, welcome to a2k. Second, I checked SNAFU in the dictionary. As you noted, the origin of the term is 1941. According to Webster's, the FU stands for **** up. "Foul up" is provided in parentheses, suggesting a secondary connection. Is it possible that the original term included the "F word" and was changed to "foul" up as the acronym took hold in the nonmilitary world?
BTW, my father was in the infantry in WWII. From what he told me, it wouldn't have been all that uncommon to hear the F word in the army. However, I never, ever heard him say this word in my presence.
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