australian defence force

FRED - an acronym for many things

@JudyEv (381753)

Rockingham, Australia

May 10, 2023 7:47pm CST

A while back I wrote about SNAFU. This is a military acronym standing for ‘Situation Normal: All F*cked Up. Another of these military acronyms is FRED. There are many meanings to FRED but one of them means Field Ration Eating Device. This forms part of the kit issued to the Australian Defence Force personnel and serves as a can opener, bottle opener and spoon. It was first issued in 1943. As far as I’m aware, it is still in use. Of course, it now has a new name ‘F*cking Ridiculous Eating Device’. Image courtesy Mark McIntosh, Wikimedia

18 people like this

20 responses

@RebeccasFarm (91299)

• United States

11 May 23

I thought it was a shoe horn Judy

4 people like this

@jstory07 (148701)

• Roseburg, Oregon

11 May 23

Silly @RebeccasFarm.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

@jstory07 Haha - I don't think it is that silly. It looks a bit like one.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

I can see that at first glance you might think that.

4 people like this

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@wolfgirl569 (135583)

• Marion, Ohio

11 May 23

I like the second name for it

3 people like this

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@wolfgirl569 (135583)

• Marion, Ohio

11 May 23

@JudyEv It don't look easy to hold for eating

3 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 May 23

@wolfgirl569 No, I can imagine the sharp bits being a pain (pardon the pun).

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@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

Me too. I gather the rank and file don't think much of it.

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@BarBaraPrz (51811)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

11 May 23

Way back when, in Vancouver, we had FRED nights... Forget Reality Enjoy Drinking.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

That sounds a much better acronym to me.

3 people like this

@Jenaisle (16568)

• Philippines

11 May 23

oh, yes, that would stay on the external area,

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@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

Definitely!!

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@rebelann (117196)

• El Paso, Texas

11 May 23

I believe my dad had one of those but I haven't a clue what happened to it.

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@rebelann (117196)

• El Paso, Texas

11 May 23

I only know that dad had a lot of paraphernalia from the time he spent fighting in WWII but it was mom who would threw away a lot of that stuff, she had no idea what the value would be in some of the things he had. I only remember playing with some of those things when I was about 10 or 11.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

Perhaps the American military took a shine to them too.

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@LadyDuck (502148)

• Italy

11 May 23

I have to understand that this is the Australian version of the famous "Swiss Knife".

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@LadyDuck (502148)

• Italy

11 May 23

@JudyEv I never had a Swiss Army knife, my brother had one.

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@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

I guess it is a bit but it doesn't seem or look quite as versatile.

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@rsa101 (40946)

• Philippines

11 May 23

That has evolved indeed.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

I guess it works and packs a lot into a small implement.

3 people like this

@AmbiePam (120533)

• United States

11 May 23

Mighty fine looking eating utensil you got there.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

I think I'll stick to my knife and fork, thank you very much!

3 people like this

@Jenaisle (16568)

• Philippines

11 May 23

I thought the image was one half of a speculum,

a device used by Ob-gynecologist during a woman's pap's smear or internal examination.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

The spiky bits would be worrisome though. lol

3 people like this

@allknowing (153544)

• India

11 May 23

I was aware of that SNAFU acronym but FRED is new to me

3 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

FRED can mean any one of a number of things too.

3 people like this

@DaddyEvil (174208)

• United States

11 May 23

At least most of the things you might need to eat with are represented... I could manage with that but probably wouldn't enjoy it.

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@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

That's about the crux of it - you could manage but wouldn't really enjoy it.

3 people like this

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

11 May 23

Totally understandable.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

13 May 23

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 May 23

Yes, I think they got this one right! lol

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@RubyHawk (99367)

• Atlanta, Georgia

11 May 23

That thing looks dangerous. The military has to live rough though.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

They do and this could serve a few purposes.

2 people like this

@RubyHawk (99367)

• Atlanta, Georgia

12 May 23

@JudyEv I don't think I'd like it for a spoon but we can't always choose.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 May 23

@RubyHawk Certainly the military can't.

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@Treborika (18194)

• Mombasa, Kenya

11 May 23

So so amazing to be here at my lot. I really had no Idea about this

2 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 May 23

I have learnt a lot here too. It's a very interesting place.

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@Treborika (18194)

• Mombasa, Kenya

12 May 23

@JudyEv Yes it is.my friend. I am learning many things here in deed.

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@Treborika (18194)

• Mombasa, Kenya

12 May 23

@JudyEv And I expect to learn more and more as I come

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@rakski (156200)

• Philippines

11 May 23

a multipurpose thing!!!

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@rakski (156200)

• Philippines

14 May 23

@JudyEv that is right!

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@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

Yep, it should be quite useful at times and not just for eating meals.

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@RasmaSandra (97912)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

12 May 23

now that is a mouthful and says a lot,

2 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 May 23

It's pretty descriptive, isn't it?

1 person likes this

@xFiacre (14782)

• Ireland

12 May 23

@JudyEv I just discovered Snafu recently and then read it in a book where some character accussed another of snafuing his plans. My favourite acronym is LOL - used in nursing homes to refer to little old ladies, stands for Loyal Orange Lodge, and used erroneously as Lots of Love!

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 May 23

And don't forget Laugh Out Loud which is how I use it here.

@LindaOHio (222222)

• United States

11 May 23

At first I thought it had a shoe horn on the end. lol Interesting little device.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

Someone else thought it was a shoehorn too.

2 people like this

@dgobucks226 (37621)

•

14 May 23

Kind of like a Swiss Army Knife for eating.

Far as I know the Swiss have not changed the name to an obscenity, lol.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 May 23

No, I think a Swiss army knife is still a Swiss army knife. lol

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@Beestring (15373)

• Hong Kong

11 May 23

That's a multi-purpose device. Quite useful.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (381753)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 May 23

I guess it serves the purpose for which it was made.

2 people like this