Telegraph 25/11

[Jcltroop]

Stuck on last one..

Dog in operation at airfield ?I?O (4)

maybe FIDO??? no idea what it is, or why. Would appreciate any suggestions/explanations

Thanks

[Quizmonster]

Fog Intensive Dispersal Operation.

[Quizmonster]

Perhaps I should have explained above that the letters are an acronym for the system of burning fuel in order to clear fog so that flying may continue at airfields.

[Brippett]

I was always given to understand that FIDO was an acronym for Fog Intense Dispersal Of.

[Quizmonster]

I used the version of the acronym provided by Chambers Dictionary. There are alternative interpretations, Brippett, none of which is going to alter the answer to Jcltroop's question. In fact, the major acronym website offers "Fog Investigation & Dispersal Operation". I'm not at all sure how burning petrol involves any element of investigation, but what the hey!

[sddsddean]

During WW2 with fuel being at a premium, not all airfields would use FIDO on the same night. On the operations board at Bomber Command, which listed all operational airfields, a little picture of a yellow dog was hung by the airfields using it that night as an easy reference for the operators.

[Quizmonster]

By a strange coincidence, one of the letters in today's edition of 'The Times' is about 'FIDO'. The writer says it stood for Fog Investigation Dispersal Organisation. I decided to see what The Oxford English Dictionary (TOED) - has to say on the matter. It offers Fog Investigation Dispersal Operation. So we're up to 4� possibilities! We really should go with the one offered by TOED, as it is the 'bible' of English words/phrases.

[sddsddean]

I always understood it to be Fog Intensive Dispersal Operations, so I agree with your first answer QM

[Quizmonster]

Dear Sdds, the problem is that the earliest recorded use of the acronym in the public domain - I've no doubt it existed earlier in military correspondence - was in a Newsweek article in 1945. That says:

"FIDO stands for Fog Investigation Dispersal Operation. It was suggested in 1942 by Prime Minister Churchill to Geoffrey Lloyd."

That reference actually exists and can, presumably be seen to exist and it is the definition offered by TOED. Whilst I thoroughly advocate Chambers Dictionary as an authoritative source, I'm afraid I have to go with TOED's description whenever the two disagree. Cheers

[sddsddean]

But the thing is QM that that doesn't make sense. What has 'Investigation' got to do with getting rid of fog? whereas you can make an 'Intensive' effort to do it. Although 'Investigation' may be the earliest reference, I put that down to mishearing/typo or whatever of the Newsweek reporter (or even Churchill getting it wrong!).

[Quizmonster]

If you look at Answer 4 above, S, you'll see that I myself made the point about 'investigation' not making much sense. After all, the only investigating one needs to do re fog is to look out of the blooming window!
However, http://www.acronymfinder.com - which is the major acronym website online as far as I know - agrees with TOED. I don't see how we can get around the fact that the two major authorities on the subjest of a) language and b) acronyms come up with the same 'translation'. But what the hey! Let's just leave it at that, eh? Cheers

[Aquagility]

During World War II the use of catchy mnemonics was commonplace and the words - or at least some of them - were often chosen to suit the letters, rather than the other way round. So 'investigation' may well have been chosen, however illogical