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Wack

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wack¹

  • /ˈwæk/

Sounds like whack (wine–whine merger) · Rhymes with -æk

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

English whack

Proto-Indo-European *-kos

Proto-Germanic *-gaz

Proto-West Germanic *-g

Old English -iġ

Middle English -y

English -y

English wackybf.

English wack

Back-formation from wacky. Alternatively, possibly a blend of white + black, in the sense that it may appear black on the outside, but it's really white on the inside. Compare oreo.

adjective wacker · wackest · whack

  1. slang Annoyingly or disappointingly bad, in various senses; lousy, corny, cringy, uncool, messed up. Every record they ever made was straight-up wack.

noun wacks · whack

  1. An eccentric; an oddball; a weirdo.
  2. dated PCP, phencyclidine (as also whack).

Similar: wackjob, wacko

wack²

  • /ˈwæk/

Sounds like whack (wine–whine merger) · Rhymes with -æk

Where it comes from

Clipping of wacker (“a Liverpudlian; a resident of Liverpool, England”).

noun wacks · whack

  1. UK A friendly term of address. A few well chosen words such as "Let's be having you wack!", works wonders. The dockers know that they've got a Scouse to deal with. I'm not saying that a Southerner couldn't handle the situation, but the job might well take longer.

Wack³

proper noun Wacks

  1. A surname.

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