# Programmers - why foo?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/programmers-why-foo/85116>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 3, 2001, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/programmers-why-foo/85116 "2001-10-03T03:27:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Outrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9d8465/32.png) [@Outrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outrider)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/programmers-why-foo/85116/1 "2001-10-03T03:27:37Z")

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I’m a beginning comp sci. student in college, and I keep running into “foo” being used as a variable or a value in various computer programs.

Everyone from my boss at work to my professor use it, and yet no one can seem to explain its origin or meaning. Anyone know?

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**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/programmers-why-foo/85116/2 "2001-10-03T03:31:04Z")

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It’s from an old comic strip. Behold, the miracle of the jargon file!

[http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/jargon/html/entry/foo.html](http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/jargon/html/entry/foo.html)