snafu
pronunciation
How to pronounce snafu in British English:
UK [snæˈfu:]
How to pronounce snafu in American English:
US [snæ'fu]
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- Noun:
- an acronym often used by soldiers in World War II: situation normal all fucked up
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- Verb:
- cause to be in a state of complete confusion
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- Adjective:
- snarled or stalled in complete confusion
Word Origin
- snafu (n.)
- 1941, U.S. military slang, acronym for situation normal, all fucked up, "an expression conveying the common soldier's laconic acceptance of the disorder of war and the ineptitude of his superiors" ["Oxford English Dictionary"]. As an adjective from 1942. In public explanations the word typically was euphemised to fouled.
Example
- 1. Dot-com bubble pops ; presidential election snafu ; uss cole bombed .
- 2. Dan : it was a snafu from beginning to end .
- 3. A snafu is a mix-up , a glitch.something that goes wrong .
- 4. Due to a police snafu , important evidence was lost .
- 5. The act of fail , to blunder , to make a snafu , or catastrophe