[Ads-l] fud

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Here is an example in September 1975.

Date: September 15, 1975
Newspaper: The Sacramento Bee
Newspaper Location: Sacramento, California
Article: (Advertisement for an Educational Seminar from Southgate
Recreation & Park District in Sacramento, California)
Quote Page C17, Column 2
Database: Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee/90010472/

[Begin excerpt]
SUFFERING FROM "FUD" COMPLEX?
Fear Uncertainty Doubt?
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Wed, Feb 11, 2026 at 12:12 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> The Wikipedia entry for "Fear, uncertainty, and doubt" presents 1975
> citations for FUD.
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki "Fear,_uncertainty,_and_doubt"
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> The similar formulation "doubts, fears, and uncertainties" first
> appeared in 1693.[4][5] The phrase "fear, uncertainty, and doubt"
> first appeared in the 1920s.[6][7] It is also sometimes rendered as
> "fear, uncertainty, and disinformation".[8]
>
> By 1975, "FUD" was appearing in contexts of marketing, sales,[9] and
> in public relations:[10]
>
> One of the messages dealt with is FUD—the fear, uncertainty and doubt
> on the part of customer and sales person alike that stifles the
> approach and greeting.[9]
>
> [Footnote 9]  "The search for self". Clothes. 10 (14–24). New York,
> NY, USA: PRADS, Inc.: 19 1975-10-01. Archived from the original on
> 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2011-06-10. […] One of the messages dealt with
> is FUD—the fear, uncertainty and doubt on the part of customer and
> sales person alike that stifles the approach and greeting. […]
>
>  [Footnote 10] Harris, Rhonda (1998). The Complete Sales Letter Book.
> Armonk: Sharpe Professional. ISBN 0-7656-0083-8.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Wed, Feb 11, 2026 at 10:20 AM Jonathan Lighter
> <00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for the tip.
> >
> > 1991 _Richmond Times-Dispatch_ (Aug. 11) Business Sec.1 [GenealogyBank]:
> > Fud is short for fear, uncertainty, and doubt, says John L. McElroy, Jr.,
> > Wheat's chairman and chief executive officer.
> >
> > 1994 _L.A. Times_ (Oct. 30) B-10 [Nespapers.com]: Fear, uncertainty, and
> > doubt...The FUD Factor."
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Wed, Feb 11, 2026 at 9:54 AM Dennis During <
> > 00001bcaf94bd005-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > > I had heard of FUD as the reason why IT guys (in the days of Big  Iron)
> > > bought IBM products. "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM."
> > >
> > > On Wed, Feb 11, 2026 at 8:43 AM Jonathan Lighter <
> > > 00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Chip Massey, former FBI hostage negotiator, on CNN this morning:
> > > >
> > > > "We call this 'fud' - 'fear, uncertainty, and doubt.'"  (As experienced
> > > by
> > > > crime victims and families."
> > > >
> > > > JL
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > > truth."
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Dennis C. During
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org