Houston, we have a problem

English

Etymology

The origin can be traced to the phrase in past tense (“Houston, we've had a problem here”) that was used by the crew of the Apollo 13 moon flight, to report a major technical problem back to their Houston base. The phrase is normally misquoted as “Houston, we have a problem” as in the movie Apollo 13: “Houston, we have a problem”. See Houston, We've Had a Problem (NASA).

Pronunciation
  • Audio (General Australian)(file)

Phrase

Houston, we have a problem

  1. (cliché) A phrase used to indicate a major problem; often humorously used for reporting any kind of problem.
    • 2002, Dan Ramsey, Complete Idiot's Guide to Solar Power for Your Home By Dan Ramsey, →ISBN, page xvii:
      Houston, we have a problem. We're running out of oil! The petroleum that fuels our daily lives is getting harder to find.
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.