In the Second World War what was SNAFU?

Armies love acronyms. Military organisations the world over seem to go for them, perhaps because they appear snappy and efficient. So it was appropriate that one of the enduring World War II expressions criticising (lack of) military organisation should emerge as an acronym: SNAFU, standing for the sarcastic expression “Situation Normal: All F***ed Up.”

The acronym is believed to have originated in the US Marine Corps although claims have also been made for the US Army or even British forces. SNAFU was first recorded in American Notes and Queries in September, 1941. “Time” magazine used the term in June, 1942: "Last week US citizens knew that gasoline rationing and rubber requisitioning were snafu." The term lived on in civilian life. For example, The New York Times published a 2005 article with the title "Hospital Staff Cutback Blamed for Test Result Snafu".

There are variations on the wording. Some claim that “Normal” should read “Nominal.” Some have replaced F***ed with something a little more polite. However, this may miss the point. In an article titled “The Soldier’s Language” (American Journal of Sociology 1946) Professor Frederick Elkin noted: “There are a few acceptable substitutes such as ‘screw up’ or ‘mess up,’ but these do not have the emphasis value of the obscene equivalent.”