Hosed

2 definitions found

From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [jargon]:

  hosed adj. Same as {down}. Used primarily by Unix hackers. Humorous:
     also implies a condition thought to be relatively easy to reverse.
     Probably derived from the Canadian slang `hoser' popularized by the Bob
     and Doug Mackenzie skits on SCTV, but this usage predated SCTV by years
     in hackerdom (it was certainly already live at CMU in the 1970s). See
     {hose}. It is also widely used of people in the mainstream sense of `in


     an extremely unfortunate situation'.
  
     Once upon a time, a Cray that had been experiencing periodic
     difficulties crashed, and it was announced to have been hosed. It was
     discovered that the crash was due to the disconnection of some coolant
     hoses. The problem was corrected, and users were then assured that
     everything was OK because the system had been rehosed. See also
     {dehose}.
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  hosed
       
           A somewhat humorous variant of "{down}", used
          primarily by {Unix} {hackers}.  "Hosed" implies a condition
          thought to be relatively easy to reverse.  It is also widely
          used of people in the mainstream sense of "in an extremely
          unfortunate situation".  The term was popularised by fighter
          pilots refering to being hosed by machine gun fire (date?).
          Usage in hackerdom dates back to {CMU} in the 1970s or
          earlier.
       
          {"Acronyms and Abbreviations" from UCC, Ireland
          (http://www.ucc.ie/cgi-bin/acronym)} expands it as "Hardware
          Or Software Error Detected", though this is probably a
          back-formation.
       
          The {Jargon File} version 4.1.4 1999-06-17 says that it was
          probably derived from the Canadian slang "hoser" (meaning "a
          man, esp. one who works at a job that uses physical rather
          than mental skills and whose habits are slightly offensive but
          amusing").
       
          One correspondant speculates about an allusion to a hose-like
          body part.
       
          Once upon a time, a {Cray} that had been experiencing periodic
          difficulties crashed, and it was announced to have been hosed.
          It was discovered that the crash was due to the disconnection
          of some coolant hoses.  The problem was corrected, and users
          were then assured that everything was OK because the system
          had been rehosed.  See also {dehose}.
       
          See also: {hose}.
       
          (1999-10-28)