# SNAFU or SNAFOO ?? What is it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2000, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564 "2000-03-31T20:19:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Astro\_Hog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Astro\_Hog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astro_Hog)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/1 "2000-04-01T06:34:00Z")
Has anyone ever heard of a snafu or snafoo? I heard this word/acronymn used and I have no clue what it is. I’ve asked other people and they have heard it used too but don’t know what it is or what it refers to. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/2 "2000-04-01T06:35:00Z")
army term. SNAFU = “Situation Normal - All Fouled Up.” I don’t know the exact origin though. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/3 "2000-04-01T06:36:00Z")
“Situation Normal - All F\*\*\*ed Up”. For the “\*\*\*” above, you could substitute “uck” as you might expect, or “oul” in polite company. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/4 "2000-04-01T06:37:00Z")
Arnold is right, except that he’s cited the G-rated version. The original didn’t use “fouled”. ---
**Author:** ![Astro\_Hog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Astro\_Hog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astro_Hog)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/5 "2000-04-01T06:37:00Z")
Geez. That was quick. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/6 "2000-04-01T06:39:00Z")
A related term is FUBAR – Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition. There are a few others but I can’t recall them at the moment. A word I’ve always liked is a Polynesian (Maori) term: “pakaru” (pronounced “puckaroo”), meaning “broken”, as in “She’s pakaru for sure!” * * * “I used to think the brain was the most important organ in the body, until I realized who was telling me that.” Emo Phillips ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/7 "2000-04-01T06:39:00Z")
…there’s no prize…? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/8 "2000-04-01T06:47:00Z")
FIGMO “F\*\*K it! I got my orders!” BOHICA “Bend over. Here it comes again!” * * * “I must leave this planet, if only for an hour.” – Antoine de St. Exupéry Are you a turtle? ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/9 "2000-04-01T06:49:00Z")
SNAFU and FUBAR have another relative, FUJIGMO, “F.U., Jack, I Got My Orders.” Never made it out of the military. ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/10 "2000-04-01T06:56:00Z")
I thought FUBAR was F’ed Up Beyond All _Repair_. ---
**Author:** ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/11 "2000-03-31T20:19:00Z")
Don’t leave out TARFU for "things are really f’d up! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/12 "2000-03-31T21:42:00Z")
What, no one has yet mentioned Private Snafu, the animated military man who taught soldiers how NOT to do things during World War II? Some legendary animation figures worked on the Private Snafu shorts, which were recently collected and rereleased by, as I recall, Bosko Video. In one short, Snafu, an Army man, mentions his brothers in the other branches, Tarfu in the Navy and Fubar in the Marines. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/13 "2000-03-31T21:49:00Z")
WAFWOT - What a f\*\*\*ing waste of time. (The “G” version uses fantastic) ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/14 "2000-03-31T21:58:00Z")
When I was in the “Pearl of the Orient” (Vietnam). We wore GIRB clothes, ate GIRB food and indeed were GIRBS. GI Rat Bastards that is. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/15 "2000-03-31T23:32:00Z")
There was a team in our industrial softball team called WOGAF. It’s a (sorta) acronym for who-gives-a-f. The team’s main concern was a steady supply of cold beer. * * * AskNott "Measure twice, cut once. Dang! Measure again, cut again. ---
**Author:** ![WillGolfForFood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/82dd89/32.png) [@WillGolfForFood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillGolfForFood)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/16 "2000-04-01T00:07:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Ursa Major: > **I thought FUBAR was F’ed Up Beyond All _Repair_.** And I’d always heard that it was “…beyond all recall”. Regional differences, I guess. I once had a college professor write “FUBAB” across on of my papers, which he later explained to me meant “…beyond all belief”. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/17 "2000-04-01T05:29:00Z")
Not to mention JANFU – Joint Army-Navy F\*\* Up. Kilroy was here. * * * “What we have here is failure to communicate.” – Strother Martin, anticipating the Internet. [www.sff.net/people/rothman](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman) ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/18 "2000-04-01T13:32:00Z")
While we are on the subject of interesting abbreviations, here are a couple more common in my trade (emergency medicine): GAFMO - get a f\*\*\*ing move on FITH syndrome - f\*\*\*ed in the head PFO - pissed and fell over CRAFT disease - can’t remember a f\*\*\*ing thing LOPS - lonely old person syndrome There are couple more bbut I can’t recall them right now. * * * Knock softly but firmly, 'cause I like soft firm knockers… ---
**Author:** ![coosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@coosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coosa)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/19 "2000-04-01T13:51:00Z")
What about CRS disease? ‘Can’t Remember Shit’. * * * Some days you’re the dog, some days you’re the hydrant. ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564/20 "2000-04-01T14:15:00Z")
The only one I remember from my Navy days that y’all haven’t covered is TAFFAARD. Take A Flying F\*\*k At A Rolling Doughnut -David [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snafu-or-snafoo-what-is-it/9564.md?page=2)