wFrom: Ray Profeta
wtSent: July 5, 2013
Subject: SNAFU, etc.
Jim,
How unfortunate you maybe right, it still isn't a word I use very often. At least try not to!
Ray
wFrom: Frank Rogers
wtSent: July 5, 2013
Subject: SNAFU, etc.
Jim,
I believe the degradation of public usage began with the acid culture, coinciding with the rebellion, or "freedom," attitude during the Vietnam War. I saw a list of the most memorable lines in movies. The top was not, "Bond, James Bond," but the words of Bruce Willis in "Die Hard." That was cleaned up for TV by overdubbing it, "Yippee ka yay, Mr. Fletcher." It reminded me of the Jackie Gleason comedy bit of a "sponsor," Mother Fletcher. Done live, viewers were waiting for a slip of the tongue. I once made the mistake of thinking a comedy show would be a funny play, but it turned out to be "stand-up comics" with every other word being offensive, and used only to get the expected laugh when uttered. And explain to me why "f-" is OK but "n-" cannot be said by someone who is not black. A college professor explained to me the origin of the so-called "n word" was the Niger region of Africa, which was mispronounced by Americans, using the g sound instead of the j sound. Slaves from that region were considered the best and thus, in most demand.
Frank.. uh oh, another f-word.
wFrom: Jim White
wtSent: July 5, 2013
Subject: SNAFU, etc.
Frank,
Sorry, I fouled up. On the other hand, in today's society, I thought that the original word was possibly about as common as "the" and therefore really was no longer a cause for offense.
Jim
wFrom: Frank Rogers
wtSent: July 4, 2013
Subject: SNAFU, etc.
The usual solution is to use "Fouled" in polite company.
Frank
wFrom: Ken Kalish
wtSent: July 3, 2013
Subject: SNAFU, etc.
Someone’s pulling your leg, Jim. The word “Blank” doesn’t begin with the letter F.
Ken
wFrom: Bob Nelson
wtSent: July 4, 2013
Subject: SNAFU, etc.
Er, that should have read - combat.
Bob Nelson
wFrom: Bob Nelson
wtSent: July 4, 2013
Subject: SNAFU, etc.
This will be fun to pass to my mobster group.
Bob
wFrom: Jim White
wtSent: July 2, 2013
Subject: SNAFU, etc.
Hi, Have been reading my way through "The Day of Battle," the second of three books on World War Two in Africa and Europe. Found something I thought I might share.
I have know SNAFU and FUBAR for many years but here are some old/new ones.
SUSFU - situation unchanged, still ------- up.
SAFU - self-adjusting ----- up
TARFU - things are really ------- up
FUMTU - -------- up more than usual
JANFU - joint Army-Navy ------- up
JAAFU - joint Anglo-American ------- up
FUAFUP - ------- up and ------- up properly
Jim
SNAFU, etc.
July 2013
Various abbreviations useful when the situation isn't normal.
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