[Ads-l] Snasu (variant), was Re: Antedating of "Snafu" by Barry Popik

[Ben Zimmer]

"Susfu" also appears in the same glossary printed in the Sept. 1941 issue
of American Notes and Queries that provides OED2's first cite for "snafu."
"Susfu" is glossed there as "situation unchanged."

https://books.google.com/books?id=4zc-AAAAIAAJ&q=susfu


On Tue, Nov 24, 2020 at 4:57 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
wrote:
[snip]

> I also came across another variant acronym "Susfu" with a June 1942
> citation. The meaning is not explained in this citation, but I found
> another instance that decoded the first two letters as "Situation
> unchanged"; hence, "Situation unchanged still fouled up".
>
> Date: June 25, 1942
> Newspaper: The Jersey Journal
> Newspaper Location: Jersey City, New Jersey
> Article: Signal Corps Work Vital in Modern War
> Author: Martin Gately (Staff Reporter)
> Quote Page 2, Column 5
> Database: Newspapers.com
> Database: GenealogyBank
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> The newsmen, accompanied by officers, were taken through the Signal
> Corps Technical Schools, where, among other things, they were
> initiated into the meaning of such phrases as "Snafu" and "Susfu."
> Among the schools visited was the code building where the men who
> tapped out the last messages from Bataan were taught.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Tue, Nov 24, 2020 at 12:46 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Back in 2009, Garson O'Toole found the "snasu" variant in Time magazine,
> > Aug. 18, 1941.
> >
> > ---
> >
> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2009-December/094658.html
> > Citation: 1941 Aug. 18, National Defense: Problem of Morale, Time
> magazine.
> > Another outfit used another word as response to almost any question:
> Snasu
> > ("Situation normal: all screwed up"). For the low state of Army morale
> was
> > merely brought into the open by the draft-extension bill.
> > http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,802126,00.html
> > ---
> >
> > As for the 1941 Google Books hit for "snafu," I assume that's the
> > appearance in the Sept. '41 issue of American Notes and Queries, as given
> > in OED2.
> >
> > --bgz
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Nov 24, 2020 at 5:34 AM Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu>
> wrote:
> >
> > > Oct. 26 , 1941, Charlotte Observer [NC; AmHistN; "...Army Lingo..."]
> 48/4
> > > Snasu: an expression of disgust when things go wrong. Literally
> "Situation
> > > normal, all screwed up."
> > >
> > > [GB gives snafu also as 1941, but not confirmed.]
> > >
> > > Stephen Goranson
> > >
> > > ________________________________
> > > From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> > > Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
> > > Sent: Monday, November 23, 2020 11:07 AM
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Subject: Antedating of "Snafu" by Barry Popik
> > >
> > > I cannot overstate the riches that are contained in Barry Popik's
> > > wonderful website barrypopik.com.  Here is an antedating he has for
> > > "snafu."  This is a slight antedating in terms of chronology, but I
> think
> > > it is worth highlighting because "snafu" is such an important term.
> > >
> > > snafu (OED 1941 [Sept.])
> > >
> > > 5 June 1941, Daily Times (Chicago, IL), pg. 10, col. 2:
> > > Army’s all snafu
> > > Snakes, bugs halt ‘battle march
> > > By KEITH WHEELER
> > > (TIMES Staff Correspondent)
> > > Bell Buckle, Tenn., June 5.—“Everything, said 1st. Lieut. Robert G.
> > > Anderson, executive officer of company G. 2d battalion, (New York)
> > > infantry, 27th division “is turning out snafu.”
> > > (...)
> > > What,” The Times asked, “does snafu means?”
> > >
>

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