What is Clusterfuck?
1.
Military term for an operation in which multiple things have gone wrong. Related to "SNAFU" (Situation Normal, All Fucked Up") and "FUBAR" (Fucked Up Beyond All Repair).
In radio communication or polite conversation (i.e. with a very senior officer with whom you have no prior experience) the term "clusterfuck" will often be replaced by the NATO phonetic acronym "Charlie Foxtrot."
By the time the artillery came in the enemy was already on top of us. It was a total clusterfuck.
2.
Traditionally/originally of military origin.
Today, however, "clusterfuck" is commonly used to descriptively generalize any situation with a large scale of disarray.
possibly synonyms: mess, disaster
1. "Well, that concert was a clusterfuck."
2. "Did you see the clusterfuck of a traffic jam on Main St.?"
3. "That house party turned into a giant clusterfuck once those cops showed up!"
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3.
A combination of things going extremely wrong in a short period of time within the same general activity -- caused by stupidity and/or ineptitude.
A polite term using the same initials would be compound fiasco.
This PR fiasco is a gigantic clusterfuck.
4.
Large quantity of confused people in a disorganized manner.
Sorry I'm late, it was a real clusterfuck on main street.
5.
A situation that is totally fucked up, especially as a result of managerial incompetence.
Originally of military origin; a double play on the word "cluster," both evoking multiple fuckups, as used in the term "cluster bomb," and evoking the oak leaf or star "cluster" insignia of the
Military: "Fuck, I heard Wilkins bought it last night going into that 'headquarters building.' The fucker was shit empty except for the
IED that blew him to hell. Took two other guys' legs off and shit. Whose goddamed idea was that whole clusterfuck, anyway?"
Civilian: "That Big Dig is a complete clusterfuck from end to end. Over budget, over due, and now under water."
Incorrect, but sounds like fun: "The three of us got together and clusterfucked all night."
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6.
Marine slang -- A clusterfuck was any group of Marines big enough to draw enemy fire, or several Marines close enough together to be wounded by the same incoming round. More generically, a clusterfuck was something that was all screwed up. Whenever three or more CAP Marines gathered in the open, talking or working on something, somebody was sure to call out "clusterfuck!" and one or more guys would walk away.
4 Marines were killed in a giant clusterfuck.
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7.
When events spiral out of control; when two or more events occur at the same time.
My car was totaled, my husband was arrested, and I can't bail him out. Man, what a clusterfuck!
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