"Foob" Watch

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Wed, 23 Mar 2005 05:15:59 -0500, Benjamin Zimmer
<bgzimmer at RCI.RUTGERS.EDU> wrote:

>Here are links to the two recent strips (note also the pluralization of
>"doofus" as "doofi" in the Mar. 23 strip):
>
>http://www.comics.com/comics/forbetter/archive/forbetter-20050322.html
>http://www.comics.com/comics/forbetter/archive/forbetter-20050323.html

The first appearance of "foob" (and its explanation as a blend of "fool"
and "boob") can be found on this page (scroll down to May 24-25, 2004):

http://www.fborfw.com/strip_fix/archives/2004_05.php

Oddly, the May 25 strip also uses "prag", which is quite inappropriate for
anyone familiar with the HBO series _Oz_, set in a maximum-security
prison.  "Prag" was a slang term made up by the show's writers, defined by
this site as "an inmate who is under the control of another inmate":

http://www.angelfire.com/ny/oz4life/lingo.html

In the case of FBoFW, "prag" is apparently a blend of "pain" and "drag".


--Ben Zimmer