Quote:
Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel
heehee ! i love that. i must start using "snafu" more. funny word, funny meaning.
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It's from US Military, circa WWII. And the stronger F word is the "proper" usage. The next level of disaster is FUBAR. (F)ouled (U)p (B)eyond (A)ll (R)ecognition. And yes, the same F word applies.
The most current disaster phrase from our military is ClusterF***, dating from late Vietnam at the earliest, and heavy usage in the first Gulf War. It is based on leveling a large area with an artillery (or dropped bomb) that flys apart into hundreds of smaller sub-bombs, all of which go off at the same time.
Usages - SNAFU is a general grumble, about something gone wrong that might get fixed.
FUBAR is about something in which there is little hope of fixing.
and
ClusterF*** is a situtation with no hope of understanding or any way to fix.
If you talk with a retired legionarre, you might find the French equivalent terms...