Every programmer knows foo. It's the placeholder name, the stand-in variable, the "insert name here" of software development. But where did it actually come from?In this episode, we trace the history of foo and bar in programming back through three unlikely chapters: a Depression-era comic strip, a WWII air squadron, and a group of MIT students who built a computer underneath a model train set. It's a story that runs through hacker culture, computing folklore, and one very strange corner of World War II history. Along the way, we find out what any of it has to do with "bar."In this episodeBill Holman and Smokey Stover - a 1930s comic strip and the catchphrase that accidentally entered the computing lexiconThe Foo Fighters - not the band; the original phenomenon, and the airmen who named itThe Tech Model Railroad Club - MIT's legendary hacker origin story, and why their emergency switch matters more than you'd thinkEpisode music George L. Cobb,  Public Domain"Procrastination Rag (1927)"James Opie / Nihilore, CC BY 4.0"The Illusion of Cold""Man Alone Chimes the Hour"--Support the showLore in the Machine is a podcast about the hidden histories living inside the tools we use every day. Hosted by Daina Bouquin. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It really helps others find the show. You can follow the show on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.