Idioms that Need to be Retired

[MissMolly]

It's actually snafu

 

[Car-Guy]

It's actually snafu

I've seen/heard it both ways. SNAFU and SNFAU

 

[erkevin]

My bad...I thought that this was a discussion on members of congress. I thought the title was "Idiots that need to be retired".

 

[braumeister]

I've seen/heard it both ways. SNAFU and SNFAU

No, it's "Situation Normal: All F'd Up"

That has been a common expression since WW II.

 

[Keim]

Funny: I thought the title read "Idiots that need to be retired." My 1st 3 thoughts:
1. Man, I can make a loooooooong list.
2. This is gonna go political and get shut down any minute.
3. Me.

 

[Car-Guy]

No, it's "Situation Normal: All F'd Up"

That has been a common expression since WW II.

When I first heard it was back in the early 80's while working in a computing center. It was Systems Normal, F'd As Usual.

About the same thing I guess.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Used that one for decades, still do here occasionally. Maybe that's where you heard/saw it. But I typically say, "the juice ain't worth the squeeze"

Pretty sure I heard the phrase on a podcast. Your rendering of it actually makes more sense to me.

 

[Dtail]

Rewind the tape. (What's a tape)

Drop a dime. (Payphone)

Toll quality voice. (One of my favorite)

Double nickel. (Speed limit in the 70s)

Actually "Drop a Dime" is now a term in basketball for a good pass/assist. lol

 

[Qs Laptop]

Actually "Drop a Dime" is now a term in basketball for a good pass/assist. lol

And here I thought it was some druggie slang.

 

[braumeister]

More British than American, but "spend a penny" goes back to the days of pay toilets in public places.

They were ubiquitous in my youth (NYC) but generally a nickel in those days.

 

[MissMolly]

I've seen/heard it both ways. SNAFU and SNFAU

Doesn't make any sense when spelled incorrectly.

 

[MichaelB]

Doesn't make any sense when spelled incorrectly.

That’s because it’s fubar

 

[REWahoo]

More British than American, but "spend a penny" goes back to the days of pay toilets in public places.

This phrase triggered a humorous episode from my past. 40+ years ago DW and I were visiting London during what was her first time in the UK. She developed a urinary infection and went to a private physician who, once she described her symptoms, told her she would need to "spend a penny" so that he could run some tests. The confused look on her face was priceless!

 

[braumeister]

This phrase triggered a humorous episode from my past. 40+ years ago DW and I were visiting London during what was her first time in the UK. She developed a urinary infection and went to a private physician who, once she described her symptoms, told her she would need to "spend a penny" so that he could run some tests. The confused look on her face was priceless!

What? You mean that's not covered by the National Health?

 

[Car-Guy]

That’s because it’s fubar

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Carbon copy. And bcc (blind carbon copy).

At my first j*b in the early 1980s I was digging through old files and came across an actual carbon copy. Even then, it was a real anachronism.

 

[pb4uski]

.... Not yet, but probable after EV's take over:
"I was running on fumes."

Probably more appropriate until the charging infrastructure is built out.

 

[CardsFan]

"If wishes were horses .... beggars would ride."

My mother said that to me every time I ever wished to have something or to do something.

My mom would use this one. Along with:

"Wish in one hand and pee in the other and see which one fills first"

 

[Car-Guy]

Probably more appropriate until the charging infrastructure is built out.

About a year ago, the closest public charging station around here was a good hour away. Now there are two new ones. One is about 15 mins away the other is about 30 mins out. The new stations must have at least 15 charging bays each. Dang, what is this world coming to.

 

[MissMolly]

That’s because it’s fubar

 

[FiveDriver]

When I first heard it was back in the early 80's while working in a computing center. It was Systems Normal, F'd As Usual.

About the same thing I guess.

Other old timey Comp Center slang :
GIGO -- Garbage In, Garbage Out.

 

[aja8888]

Military slang - FIGMO

 

[Car-Guy]

Other old timey Comp Center slang :
GIGO -- Garbage In, Garbage Out.

Reminds me of the days before PC's, Servers, and IP networking - Some terms, off the top of my head, that I think have died out "for the most part". Some may still fit to a degree. But there were thousands of them back in the day of mainframe data centers and networking.

Bootstrap
EOJ
MF's
FEP's
Bus and Tag
Channels
MIP's
SNA
Bisync
SWAP Space
Timeshare
Job Breakdown
Abend
EOJ
Big Iron
Punch Cards
Paper Tapes
Mag Tapes
MVS
VM
JES
DASD
LPAR's
Partitions
Green Screens
Bipolar
CMOS
Mass Store
MTO


That's enough for now. Or all I can think of in 10 mins.

 

[Andre1969]

Doesn't make any sense when spelled incorrectly.

Situation Normal, F'ed All Up?

First time I heard of "SNAFU", it was actually a video game for the Intellivision.

I'll admit I wasted countless hours of my youth playing this game. It was simple, but addictive. Also, if you didn't touch the controls, the computer would control all four snakes, so you could make a betting (or drinking) game out of it.

Oh, just heard a good one on "Three's Company." Mr. Roper just said "There's no sense locking the barn door after you've made hay!"

 

[euro]

Respectfully, I disagree. These are as meaningful and valid today as ever and I don’t know any other 5 letter acronym that conveys so much information.

agree but should be "snafu", not snfau