FUBAR is an acronym that commonly means "fucked up beyond all repair," "fucked up beyond all recognition," or any of a number of similar constructions. It originated in the United States armed forces, but its usage has spread to civilian environments.

Variations

The phrase is sometimes bowdlerized by replacing fucked with fouled.

Depending on the situation, all can be replaced with any, and repair can be replaced with rehabilitation, redemption, recognition, realization, rescue, reality, recovery, relief, religion, reconciliation, respect, or reasoning.Fact: date=March 2009

The concept is generally the same regardless of the exact wording used.

FUBAR was also used in the early 80's as a crash message on the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) VAX 11/780 computer systems. It would produce the message FUBAR on the console and crash. I was told by a DEC Customer Engineer that it means : Fault UniBus Address Register. The UNIBUS was a bus that contained cards with auxiliary processes, such as the KMC11-a/b.

A FuBar is a large hammer type tool used for demolition, it has a hammer head and a hook for bending 2x4's or 4x6's, the other end of it is a type of prybar with two nail removers. It is somewhat heavy to swing but extremely effective for construction uses.

Etymology and history

Electronics engineers report that SNAFU and FUBAR were used before World War II by repairmen sent out to repair phone booths. They had to report the situation at arrival to the scene, often on a very bad line, so they developed these acronyms to make themselves understood."The Health Science Institute", 1

The Oxford English Dictionary currently lists Yank, the Army Weekly magazine (1944, 7 Jan. p. 8) as its earliest citation: "The FUBAR Squadron...FUBAR? It means 'Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition.'"

In the 1944 U.S. Army animated short The Three Brothers (directed by Friz Freleng), a character named Fubar is a brother of Private Snafu (Situation Normal, All Fucked Up) and Tarfu (Things Are Really Fucked Up, or Totally and Royally Fucked Up).

In 1980 FUBAR also appears in an apparent example of geek humor, as the acronym for the Failed UniBus Address Register in the Digital Equipment Corporation VAX-11/780 Unibus adapter (DW780)."VAX Hardware Handbook," page 373. Digital Equipment Corporation, 1980.

The 1989 movie Tango and Cash re-popularised the phrase FUBAR. It was used by one of the lead characters on several occasions.

Related military acronyms