Help: LETTER of the Lore - WWII acronyms.

Subject: RE: Help: LETTER of the Lore - WWII acronyms.
From: EBarnacle
Date: 05 Nov 15 - 06:25 PM

On a slightly different mode, can anyone give me a good WW II citation for RTFM? [Read the f***ing manual]

Subject: RE: Help: LETTER of the Lore - WWII acronyms.
From: Lighter
Date: 05 Nov 15 - 07:13 PM

I doubt RTFM is that old. I didn't encounter it until the 21st century.

In spite of looking for exactly this kind of stuff.

Everywhere.

Subject: RE: Help: LETTER of the Lore - WWII acronyms.
From: EBarnacle
Date: 05 Nov 15 - 10:53 PM

It is first documented during the Korean War. Dick Greenhaus encountered it in engineering school between WW II and Korea.

Subject: RE: Help: LETTER of the Lore - WWII acronyms.
From: Lighter
Date: 06 Nov 15 - 08:34 AM

Hmm. That changes things a bit.

Maybe it was once mainly used on the job by engineers. Certainly it only became commonly known in the '90s.

Google Books produces nothing before 1990. To judge from those sources, it was popularized in computer contexts.

No surprise there.