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Cyhist Apr. 10 1998 F
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========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 15:25:46 -0500
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: David Vanderschel <DvdS@TEXAS.NET>
Subject: Re: FOO on you!!
In-Reply-To: <2.2.32.19980410162448.0068317c@arbhome1.beasys.com> (message
from Stan Mazor on Fri, 10 Apr 1998 09:24:48 -0700)
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Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
When I first started running across "FOO" as a sort of generic name in software-oriented examples, I had a rather odd reaction to it. The reason is that from '55 to '60 when I was in grades 7-12 in Lubbock, Texas, the word "foo" was a swear-word in the local vernacular. It functioned as a contraction of "f--- you", and its utterance might frequently be accompanied by the familiar single-finger gesture. In high school, some 'nasty' guys would spell out "FOO" in Morse code on their car horns in the parking lot. The subject of this thread would literally have been highly insulting fighting words.
I know this is way off-topic for the CYHIST list, but I have always been curious to know if this vulgar meaning of "foo" was strictly localized to Lubbock, Texas. (In view of the 'off-topicness', private email replys would probably be better.)
I had always doubted the direct FUBAR -> FOO connection; but now that Stan has pointed out where "FOO" did come from and how "BAR" became connected, it all makes more sense.
Regards,
David V.
--
--_/_/_/-----------------_/---_/_/_/--------------------------------------- --_/----_/---------------_/--_/-----_/- On certain issues, -- David --_/-----_/-_/----_/-_/_/_/----_/_/---- I could be wrong; -- van der Schel --_/----_/---_/-_/--_/---_/-_/-----_/-- but this is not -- DvdS@Texas.Net --_/_/_/------_/-----_/_/_/---_/_/_/--- one of them. -- Austin, Texas
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: David Vanderschel <DvdS@TEXAS.NET>
Subject: Re: FOO on you!!
In-Reply-To: <2.2.32.19980410162448.0068317c@arbhome1.beasys.com> (message
from Stan Mazor on Fri, 10 Apr 1998 09:24:48 -0700)
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
When I first started running across "FOO" as a sort of generic name in software-oriented examples, I had a rather odd reaction to it. The reason is that from '55 to '60 when I was in grades 7-12 in Lubbock, Texas, the word "foo" was a swear-word in the local vernacular. It functioned as a contraction of "f--- you", and its utterance might frequently be accompanied by the familiar single-finger gesture. In high school, some 'nasty' guys would spell out "FOO" in Morse code on their car horns in the parking lot. The subject of this thread would literally have been highly insulting fighting words.
I know this is way off-topic for the CYHIST list, but I have always been curious to know if this vulgar meaning of "foo" was strictly localized to Lubbock, Texas. (In view of the 'off-topicness', private email replys would probably be better.)
I had always doubted the direct FUBAR -> FOO connection; but now that Stan has pointed out where "FOO" did come from and how "BAR" became connected, it all makes more sense.
Regards,
David V.
--
--_/_/_/-----------------_/---_/_/_/--------------------------------------- --_/----_/---------------_/--_/-----_/- On certain issues, -- David --_/-----_/-_/----_/-_/_/_/----_/_/---- I could be wrong; -- van der Schel --_/----_/---_/-_/--_/---_/-_/-----_/-- but this is not -- DvdS@Texas.Net --_/_/_/------_/-----_/_/_/---_/_/_/--- one of them. -- Austin, Texas
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