FUBAR meaning: what does F.U.B.A.R. stand for - and links to Arnold Schwarzenegger Netflix series

Netflix series FUBAR will mark action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first major screen role since the latest Terminator sequel, Dark Fate, which landed in cinemas in 2019.

Since then, Schwarzenegger has been something of a fading star, appearing in a BMW advert, animated children’s series, Predator video game, and one episode of Hulu series Little Demon.

FUBAR could be the 75 year old’s ticket back to major film and TV roles - the high-octane, big budget series which lands on Netflix on Thursday, is inspired by Schwarzenegger’s earlier action flick True Lies.

Some action fans who have spotted that the film is coming to the streaming service soon have been left perplexed by the title - this is everything you need to know about FUBAR, including what the title means.

What does FUBAR stand for?

FUBAR stands for F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition. The term dates back to the Second World War, during which time soldiers had plenty of reason to use the term, because the conflict was often FUBAR.

Another military meaning for the acronym is F***ed Up By A**holes in the Rear, referring to the meddling of the higher ups in the military causing problems for soldiers on the front lines.

A similar military acronym to have come from the Second World War is SNAFU - Status Nominal: All F***ed Up - which is believed to have been coined by the US Marine Corps.

What is Netflix series FUBAR about?

FUBAR, an upcoming Netflix series starring Terminator legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, also takes its title from the sweary acronym. 

The eight-part series which comes to Netflix in one go on Thursday 25 May, follows CIA operatives Luke Brunner (Schwarzenegger) and his daughter Emma (Monica Barbaro) in the cast, neither of whom know that the other is a spy.

When they eventually stumble on the truth, they discover that they don’t know much about each other. Luke, who is about to retire is pulled back into the field for what is supposed to be one final mission. 

The series is based on Schwarzenegger’s classic 1994 action movie True Lies, in which he starred alongside Jamie Lee Curtis. The show was originally named Utap and it’s not clear what the title meant or if it was an acronym, what it stood for, so it’s probably for the best that Netflix changed the name to FUBAR.

The action comedy, based on the trailer, is set to feature plenty of carnage in the form of explosions, car chases, and gunfights. It’s likely that the series will live up to its name.