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  1. etymology - Researching the real origin of SNAFU - English Language ...

    I know the wiki origin puts SNAFU as appearing during WWII as the first in a long line of military slang, BUT, years ago I recollect reading in an electronics magazine, likely 'Wireless World' from...

  2. Is using the word "snafu" instead of the word "problem" correct?

    Feb 29, 2016 · 6 According to vocabulary.com snafu, the old possibly offensive military term, is nowadays used to refer to any kind of problem: Snafu was originally a World War II-era military …

  3. When did the word "snafu" enter the colloquial vernacular?

    Roughly when did the word "snafu" enter the colloquial vernacular? It was a military term, but at some point it came into fairly common use among the general population.

  4. etymology - What is origin of the phrase "tits up" - English Language ...

    Nov 4, 2024 · 2 Personally, I like the acronym explanation as provided by acronymfinder: Total Inability To Support Usual Performance. It aligns nicely with one of the other classic expressions - SNAFU. It …

  5. Word for abbreviations that have become standard words

    Feb 24, 2014 · The word snafu, for example, was originally an obscene U.S. Army reference (situation normal -- all f'ed up"), and fad is purportedly originally an acronym for "for a day". Some terms, such …

  6. History of 'acronym' versus 'initialism'? - English Language & Usage ...

    Nov 6, 2020 · From " If You Say Snafu or O.K. You're Using an Acronym," in the Breckenridge [Texas] American (July 9, 1947): ALBUQUERQUE, N [ew] M [exico].—Basic English may be the coming …

  7. verbs - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

    What is the correct way to pluralize an acronym? asked about pluralising acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms, but is there a standard way to add verb endings e.g. -ing and -ed (what are these c...

  8. What is the term for words that have changed meaning over time?

    Nov 26, 2012 · 11 Snafu has not so much changed its meaning over time as come to be used by a larger linguistic community. Nevertheless, words do change their meaning over time. Where a word …

  9. Why does this abbreviation "tl;dr" have a punctuation mark in it?

    To me it kind of defeats the purpose of typing an abbreviation quickly, if I have to type the ; key too. Why is tl;dr more common than TLDR, and usually used with ";"? I have read the wiki discussion but am …

  10. word usage - Is the phrase 'screw up' or 'screwed up' considered ...

    May 16, 2023 · "Is the phrase 'screw up' or 'screwed up' considered profanity..." Who is doing the considering? Presumably the makers of the show didn't think so. People's attitudes to profanity vary …