[Techtalk] Learning Perl!!!!

[John White]

Carsten Dan wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 2002-09-11 at 21:15, Michelle Murrain wrote:
> > >2) What is the big fuss about 'foobar'? what is it exactly in Linux?
> > >Does it have any significance (like /dev/null)? I seen it being also
> > >used in Learning Perl book.
> >
> > it's just an example - it means nothing. I think the use of 'foo' and
> > 'bar' started in C?
> 
> The term foobar comes from the term fubar. It was used by American
> marines during the Vietnam war, when they were ambushed by the Vietcon.
> It means Fucked Up Beyond Any Recognition. Can be used to describe the
> state of program, hardware etc. and of course for variables :)
> 
> /cdan
> --
> "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
> safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
> - Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
> 
> "When the government fears the people, there is liberty.
> When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."
> Thomas Jefferson
> 
> Carsten Dan <mail at cdan.dk> --- http://cdan.dk
> GPG public key at http://www.keyserver.net
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Actually, FUBAR goes back to at least World War 2, when it was coined as a superlative of SNAFU.

John