SNAFU

Alternative forms

• snafu

Etymology

The term was born during WWII as an acronym of the initials of the words situation normal, all fucked up, which summed up the chaos and confusion of the war from an individual soldier’s point of view.

Pronunciation

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• (UK) enPR: snä'foo͞, IPA^(key): /ˈsnɑːfuː/
• (US) IPA^(key): /snæːˈfuː/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Phrase

SNAFU

1. (military, slang, euphemistic) Acronym of status nominal all fucked up or situation normal all fucked up (fouled up)

Noun

SNAFU (plural SNAFUs)

1. A ridiculously chaotic situation.
2. 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…

Related terms

• FUBAR

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).

Anagrams

• fauns, saunf