[Ads-l] fud

[Nancy Friedman]

I wrote about the history of FUD last year:
https://fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-the-week-doubt

There's a long Wikipedia entry on FUD, which traces "fear, uncertainty, and
doubt" -- but not the acronym -- to Catholic publications in the 1920s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty,_and_doubt


Nancy Friedman
Chief Wordworker
web: wordworking.com <http://www.wordworking.com>
substack https://fritinancy.substack.com/
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On Wed, Feb 11, 2026 at 5:43 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
>

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