2006-06-20 09:23:56 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Most American English speakers have had occasion to use the familiar idiom out of whack to describe something maladjusted or out of order. Despite the commonness of this expression, plausible theories of its origin are in short supply.
One suggestion has the whack in this phrase being a synonym for a hit or blow that throws something off, like a mechanism, the car door is out of whack, or a body part, I threw my spine out of whack.
Possibility number two involves the word wacky, an older dialectal word originally meaning "foolish and left-handed." Wacky in currant usage, of course, is "crazy, odd, peculiar."
Both of these options are suspect, however, because the very phrase out of whack implies that being in whack (whatever that may be) is positive.
So we look to other theories, one of which points out that an older sense of the word whack means a share, bargain, or agreement. Or perhaps whack is an onomatopoeia for an auctioneer's hammer rap, signaling the establishment of a bargain or fair price. If you like these explanations, then something out of whack is a bad bargain or an agreement that's gone awry.
Incidentally, the fraternal-twin phrase out of kilter has an origin equally mysterious. Though the word kilter has entered most contemporary dictionaries, its etymological source, like our whack, is unknown.
2006-06-20 11:52:22 · answer #1 · answered by gospieler 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Out Of Whack Origin
2016-12-29 12:24:15 · answer #2 · answered by hiens 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whack Meaning
2016-11-12 22:29:56 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There was a product in the 30's that would fix anything. It was a salve you would rub on broken products that would mend scratches, reattach broken glass, lubricate machine parts etc. The product was called "whack" and it was very popular.
It was discontinued in the 40's because it contained Mercury and people were turning blue and dying. But it had a short run.
The saying stuck around though to this day. So now when something isn't working right, it is said to be "out of whack".
2006-06-20 09:29:46 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, when something is broken or not working it is human nature to give it a whack. The TV's on the blink, give it a whack. In the old days the radio didn't work, you gave it a whack.
So, the expression "Out of whack" was what people started saying before they "Whacked" it.
2006-06-20 09:29:36 · answer #5 · answered by blewz4u 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that the term has been altered and originally was "Out a whack" meaning that like a wobbly wheel, it needed further adjustment to true it up, commonly done with a mallet
2015-02-19 11:06:27 · answer #6 · answered by Drei 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They used to be printed on vellum, a form of parchment made from fine lamb's skin. It was an expensive and very durable material, reflecting the formal nature of the diploma. Although calf skin is the traditional material, sheep were commonly used as well - especially in England. Thus, many Oxford diplomas actually were printed on sheep skin. A few universities still observe the practice; most have changed to cloth or paper diplomas due to cost concerns or student grousing about using animal products.
2016-03-26 23:05:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe it comes from an old WASHING MACHINE... when it becomes UNBALANCED... you have to HIT IT... i.e. whack it back into center.
To WHACK it is to fix it... to not is to be "Out of Whack"
2006-06-20 09:27:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"out of whack" means messed up or out of order people say it to sound cool but i just think it sounds stupid.
2006-06-20 09:29:45 · answer #9 · answered by hailey 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
id like to know too... (out of whack?)
2006-06-20 09:53:05 · answer #10 · answered by aValanch3 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋