RE: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Origin of SPAM (Yes! I am a google GOD)

[Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Wed, 1 Oct 2003, Ross, Matthew wrote:

> > What is well known?  There were Foo Clubs in the US as the term Foo,
> > from the comics, had become popular.  But your are saying that it's
> > not possible that the popularity of 'foo' had anything to do with the
> > use of FU in both SNAFU and FUBAR?  I think it is possible, even
> > likely.
>
> Why? Both SNAFU and FUBAR have nothing to do with any of the the various
> meanings or uses of "Foo", and the people using them were certainly not
> using "Foo" as taglines in their e-mails or usenet posts.


For several reasons.  One is that "foo" was very popular just before WWII.
Another reason is that some people who have been studying 'foo' believe
that it had something to do with the subsequent invention of the words
SNAFU and FUBAR.  Yes, we know that those are acronyms and we know what
they mean, but there's more to it than that.  For example, they could have
pronounced them like 'snaffuh' and 'fuhbar' (pronouncing the 'u' as in
'up') or like 'snafyoo' and 'fyoobar', but they didn't.  Why not?  Well,
maybe it was because 'foo' was already popular and funny and so they
wanted to use the foo sound in their new funny term.  My point is, we
(you) don't know.  It is remarkable that SNAFU and FUBAR popped up just
after foo did.  It could be a complete coincidence, but I have some
doubts.

Mike
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