A warm meal, usually cooked in a large pot, often similar to a stew or porridge; or, service of such a heated meal to soldiers
The men there would have settled for a Coleman stove and a hot-mess line, but the greatest contribution to their spirits, plus or minus, was mail call.
A person, thing, or situation in such a state of disarray or disapproval by peers, often in reference to physical appearance, perceived to be disastrously embarrassing, pitiful, or beyond repair
She looked a hot mess, with bloodshot red eyes and mascara running down her face.