minow (02/17/83)
Thanks to the many correspondents who pointed out the WWII slang use
of "fubar" and especially to mit-vax!mp who found the reference from
earlier times. Turned out to predate Napoleon by a a few score years.
>From ihnss!cbosg!teklabs!tekmdp!azure!jackk Wed Feb 24 13:41:38 1982
Subject: RE: Fubar
Newsgroups: net.general; Article: 410
The term FUBAR actually first appeared during the reign of Queen Anne
of England( 1702-1714 ), the last ruling sovereign of the Stuart
Dynasty ( 1603-1714 ). The Duke of Marlborough( 1650-1722 ), John
Churchill, Sir Winston's great great... grandfather, after his great
victory at the battle of Blenhiem ( 13 August 1704 ) against the
French, in Austria, had some captured French dispatches translated.
The translator, unfortunately unknown, but believed to be a Lance Cor-
poral in the Royal Guards, having some difficulty translating a slang
French expression used by Marshall Tallard, the defeated French gen-
eral, gave up in despair and wrote in FUBAR, although not literally
translating the dispatch, expressed the French general's analysis of
the situation.
1. Smith-Huxley,J.P.,"The Augustan Age of Good Queen Anne",
pg386-387, R.Clay Ltd, London, ( 1903 ) SBN 384-82210-2.presley (02/17/83)
Q: What's the difference between ENTOMOLOGISTS and ETYMOLOGISTS? A: Etymologists know the difference.