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hosed


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.