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

Tue Nov 24 22:19:53 UTC 2020

Perhaps of interest, from 2006. Check the archives for some context:

> "CYA" and "FTA" are not only genuine, they're very well documented.
Also familiar to HDAS are BOHICA, BUFF, (FT) EUSTIS, DILLIGAF, FIDO, FIGMO,
FNG, FUBAR, HMFIC, I&I, MRE, OMGIF, PFC, SNAFU, SWAG, TARFU, USMC ("Uncle
Sam's Misguided Children"). Some of these go back to WWII.

>Still others that come to mind are DILLIGAS ("...a shit"), WTF?, USMC
("Uncle Sam's Moldy Crotch"), FUJIGMO ("Fuck you, Jack, I Got My Orders"),
FUBIS ("...Buddy, I'm Shipping"), TARFUBAR, SUSFU ("Situation Unchanged,
Still...").

>There's a chigger whose scientific monicker is _Tribicula fujigmo_.  For
details, as well as other bizarre Linnaean names (including the fly
_Phthiria relativitae_), see [http://www.faculty.ucr.edu/~heraty/menke.html
].<

I omitted "DILLIGAF."

American Notes & Queries also has a "SNAFU" from 1941.

JL

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

> Thanks Stephen. I agree that the "snasu" variant is interesting. Many
> thanks, Ben, for locating my message about "snasu" from the
> antediluvian age.
>
> I just located an interesting instance of "S N A F U" in March 1940.
> Unfortunately, this "S N A F U" might be illusory. See the following
> description.
>
> Date: March 12, 1940
> Newspaper: Detroit Evening Times
> Newspaper Location: Detroit, Michigan
> Section: Detroit Times Daily Magazine Page
> Article: Wishing Well (puzzle)
> Quote Page 12, Column 5
> Database: Newspapers.com
> Database: British Newspaper Archive
> Database: GenealogyBank
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> WISHING WELL
>
> 4 3 6 5 8 2 4 6 7 3 5 8 4
> B A S N A F U U R C E C Y
>
> 2 6 7 3 8 4 6 5 8 7 2 4 6
> L C E O T T C W O U A H E
>
> 4 3 6 5 7 8 4 2 6 8 3 5 6
> E M S I N N U T S I P N I
> [End excerpt]
>
> Above are the top six rows from a puzzle with 14 rows. The puzzle
> contains the following contiguous sequence of five letters "S N A F
> U". The puzzle also contains the following sequence "N U T S".
>
> It is possible that a mischievous puzzle constructor deliberately
> inserted "S N A F U" and "N U T S". However, the solution to the
> puzzle is unrelated to these sequences, so I guess we have to assume
> that these sequences were simply coincidental.
>
> 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?”
> > >
> > > Fred Shapiro
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
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> > >
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> > >
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> > >
> >
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