I just noticed silkmuse's query about FUBAR from a few weeks ago.

The 'etymology' given was what I recall being told years ago.

Some of you may not be aware that it's very common (or in any case, used to be very common) among programmers to use the "meta-variables" foo and bar as placeholders for the general instance of a thing. There's a humorous anecdote relating to this at http://www.hotspankingchicks.com/home.html.

Continuing the programming related theme, I'll add that a slightly teasing name my programming buddies used to call me was "kluge" (my initials are klg) which is a term used to describe a fix to a program or a way of connecting completing a project or a way of connecting two things that are pretty much not-connectable. The term is used in different ways. Some people use it to describe a rube goldberg type construction - think duct tape and chicken wire. Others use it to describe a particularly elegant hack. The correct pronunciation, so far as I can tell, is "klooj," although I've seen it written as "kludge" and rhymed with "judge." I've always liked to believe the term came from the german for "clever," though some sources say it's a English slang for a toilet.


k