General
snafu
What does snafu mean?
Used adjectivally to describe something hopelessly tangled or mishandled.
"The paperwork situation is completely snafu right now."
Origin
U.S. Army slang from the early 1940s, coined by enlisted men in World War II as wry shorthand for institutional chaos. It entered civilian use through war correspondents and returning GIs and remains common today.
Frequently asked questions
What does snafu mean in slang?
It means a messed-up, chaotic situation — specifically one where things going wrong is the normal state of affairs.
Where did snafu come from?
It's a U.S. military acronym coined by WWII soldiers in the early 1940s, standing for 'situation normal, all fouled up.'
Is snafu rude?
The polite version uses 'fouled.' The original soldiers' version used a stronger F-word, but in everyday civilian use the term is mild.
Is snafu still used?
Yes — it's one of the few WWII coinages that fully crossed into mainstream English and is still common in offices and newsrooms.
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