[Ads-l] Antedating of "FUBAR"

[Bonnie Taylor-Blake]

Thanks for checking this, Garson.

I believe that Joseph Fubar, the name you’ve cited, is a typo and that the
gentleman’s name was Joseph Funbar. One sees several mentions of Mr. Funbar
(and family members) in Lancaster newspapers. For example,
https://www.newspapers.com/image/558110436/?match=1&clipping_id=154021475

As you’ve guessed, I assumed that “Pvt. Roger Fubar” was a pseudonym
because of the military setting. I had further wondered whether “Roger”
here was a sly nod to “Received,” as in “Roger that.”

Was Roger Fubar a real person? I’ll have to wait for my go-to
public-records researcher to take a look at this later today or tomorrow.

— Bonnie


On Mon, Aug 26, 2024 at 12:42 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <
adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:

> Excellent discovery, Bonnie. I attempted to find other examples of
> "Fubar" used as a last name and came across "Joseph Fubar" in 1941.
> Yet, there was no indication of humor, and the domain was
> non-military.  Is it possible that "Pvt. Roger Fubar" was not a
> pseudonym, but a genuine name?
>
> Date: May 28, 1941
> Newspaper: Lancaster New Era
> Newspaper Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
> Article: Local Laborers Get York, Berks Jobs
> Quote Page 4, Column 4
> Database: Newspapers.com
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> Many laborers are being sent to York and Berks counties for work,
> Joseph Fubar, business agent for the Buildings Trades Union, reported
> at a meeting of the Central Labor Union in its, hall last night.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Wed, Aug 21, 2024 at 4:38 PM Bonnie Taylor-Blake
> <b.taylorblake at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > FWIW, the pseudonymous "PVT. ROGER FUBAR" authored a letter to the
> > editor that was published in The Greensboro (NC) Daily News on 20
> > September 1942 (p. 2). "Private Fubar" claimed to have been writing
> > from the U.S. Army's Camp Davis (Holly Ridge), North Carolina.
> >
> >
> https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A11EA68DA9EC1533C%40GB3NEWS-14342C4F04D625DE%402430623-1429AACA06587E82%4038-1429AACA06587E82?clipid=vagzaobhajkiiwpkvfvtbfczqqdikjlx_ip-10-166-46-121_1724265678637
> >
> > -- Bonnie
> >
> > On Wed, Mar 22, 2023 at 1:29 PM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > FUBAR (OED 1944)
> > >
> > > 1943 Buffalo Evening News 9 Aug. 1 / 4 (Newspapers.com)  All sentinels
> are required to memorize 11 general orders, listed in the Soldiers'
> Handbook. After each order I will list the FUBAR (framed up beyond all
> recognition) version.
> > >
> > > Fred Shapiro
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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