SNAFU
WordNet
adjective
(1) Snarled or stalled in complete confusion
"Situation normal--all fucked-up"
noun
(2) An acronym often used by soldiers in World War II: situation normal all fucked up
verb
(3) Cause to be in a state of complete confusion
WiktionaryText
Etymology
The term was born during the WWII as an acronym of the initials of the words , which summed up the chaos and confusion of the war from an individual soldier’s point of view.
Noun
- A ridiculously chaotic situation.
- A major glitch or breakdown.
- 2007, Susan Glairon, Paperwork SNAFU, The Daily Times-Call, LongmontFYI
- Because of a paperwork snafu, he also hasn’t been able to get his Army discharge papers and is still listed as an active-duty soldier…
- 2007, Susan Glairon, Paperwork SNAFU, The Daily Times-Call, LongmontFYI
See also
- Article on a military training cartoon character: Private Snafu, by Frank Capra in 1942. The stories were written by Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss).