noun General Slang

Snafu

/snaeˈfuː/ · noun · slang

A chaotic mess that's gone wrong in the usual, expected way — military acronym for 'situation normal, all fouled up.'

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Definitions

1

Used adjectivally to describe something hopelessly tangled or mishandled.

“The paperwork situation is completely snafu right now.”
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2

A single specific blunder or foul-up, often bureaucratic or logistical.

“There was a snafu with the orders and half the unit shipped out twice.”
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3

A confused, botched-up situation — especially one where things failing is so routine it's basically the default state. The acronym stands for 'situation normal, all fouled up' (with a saltier F-word in the original GI version).

“The whole supply chain was a total snafu by Thursday.”
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Snafu In A Sentence

Don't blame the new guy — this snafu started three departments up the chain.
We hit a scheduling snafu and the band showed up a day early.
Classic snafu: nobody told the kitchen the party was cancelled.

Origin & Usage

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.

Variants SNAFUsnafued
Tags #1940s#wartime#swing#vintage#military#acronym

People Also Ask

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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