3 ms·
Yes, but in polite company you can pretend it means "The Freaking Article"
by NavinF 3y ago
Yes, but in polite company you can pretend it means "The Freaking Article"
- BLKNSLVR 3y agoIn polite company you say "The article" or "read the manual" and patiently await your reward, which is their asking "what does the 'F' stand for?", to which you reply only with a condescending look and raised eyebrow(s). That look of realisation is precious. I've manufactured this experience once or twice, and it's wonderful.
- tremon 3y agoFine instead of Freaking is much nicer.
- klibertp 3y agoI think "Friendly" was/is popular explanation where devs tried to translate their subculture into something generally digestible.
- evilduck 3y agoDigestible maybe, but swapping "friendly" in for "fucking" changes the tone and intent of someone's statement. At least "freaking" expresses similar, if muted, exclamation. A recipient who is being not-so-subtly reproached with an F-bomb acronym might misunderstand what is being implied.
- hinkley 3y agoBut when the person asking was management, and asking for the tenth time, there was a decided advantage to changing the tone. All of that is now wrapped up in the initialism.
- dotancohen 3y agoOr the fine article.