Unrelated, but I once came across a post claiming TFA stood for "the f**ing article", and I now can't unsee that. I wonder for a split second, before I remember what it actually stands for, why the poster is so angry.
I think it comes from the exhortation to read the manual: "RTFM!". This has been around in technical circles for over 40 years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTFM
That's likely the original meaning, with 'the fine article' being someone squeaming.
Oh, I thought it was "the featured article"
Based on usage here, I’ve come to understand TFA as “the FULL article.” For me, this comports with the spirit of HN rules. Used in that sense, it allows for the possibility that another commenter may have skimmed, or even read the article, but may have missed a detail that the FULL article addresses.
It's always been "f*ing" like RTFM. Do you really think people needed to insert an F there to stand for featured or fine?
I mean "The Fine Article" with a glimmer of the more vulgar reading.