![\"out](\"http:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/images\/blog\/whack.gif\")
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Have you ever heard or read of something being out of whack<\/strong>? Or maybe you use this expression yourself. If so, have you wondered what a whack<\/strong> might be and how you can be out of one?<\/p>\n Well, the other day I saw this phrases in an email and it got me thinking about where it comes from, and also whether there’s a positive version of it.<\/p>\n According to the Free Dictionary<\/a>, out of whack<\/strong> means:<\/p>\n According to World Wide Words<\/a>, whack<\/strong> may be onomatopoeic origin, and may have developed from thwack<\/strong>. In the 18th century it meant “a share of a booty obtained by fraud” and was originally thieves’ slang, according to Francis Grose’s 1785 A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue<\/em><\/a>. He also mentions a Paddy whack<\/strong>, which he defines as a “stout brawny Irishman”.<\/p>\n Paddywhack also means an appearance in the traditional English nursery rhyme and counting song This Old Man<\/a>:<\/p>\n This old man, he played one, It doesn’t appear to have anything to do with Irishmen in this case, but just fits with the tune and the rhyme.<\/p>\n Other phrases featuring whack<\/strong> include:<\/p>\n Then there’s in fine whack<\/strong>, which was apparently used in the 19th century to mean “in good condition or excellent fettle”. So there is a positive version of out of whack<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n
\ne.g. The computer is totally out of whack<\/em><\/li>\n
\ne.g. My whole day has been thrown out of whack by this accident<\/em><\/li>\n
\ne.g. It’s important to get some sunshine and fresh air each day, or else you start feeling out of whack<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\nHe played knick-knack on my thumb;
\nWith a knick-knack paddywhack,
\nGive the dog a bone,
\nThis old man came rolling home.<\/p>\n\n