Tell me more ×
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 4 down vote favorite
1

If a real-time program goes off the deep end, the system can become unresponsive.

share|improve this question

2 Answers

up vote 9 down vote accepted

This is one of several idioms related to the dangers of deep water. These include:

go off the deep end - lose one's temper, act rashly or get carried away with something
throw someone in at the deep end - put someone in a challenging position without preparation
in deep water - in trouble, in a difficult situation

Your example doesn't quite fit the usual meaning of the idiom. Presumably they mean that if a real-time program becomes overloaded or goes wrong it will make the system unresponsive.

share|improve this answer
I'm only familiar with your first definition of go off the deep end. To be honest I think OP's usage is either a localised idiom, or a misuse, but it's obvious enough what it's intended to mean. – FumbleFingers Aug 6 '11 at 13:52
up vote 2 down vote

"Going off the deep end" just means going out of control. Synonyms are "going haywire", "going kablooey", and so on.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.