Out of Whack Means Out of Order
To whack is to strike sharply. The noun appears in several idioms whose logic is not obvious.
To whack is to strike sharply, and a whack is such a blow. The noun turns up in idioms with less obvious sense: *out of whack* means not working properly, probably from an old meaning of whack as an agreed share or arrangement, so something out of whack is outside the agreed order. *Top whack* means the highest price, and *have a whack at* means to attempt. The word is imitative, from the 1710s, and *wacky* grew from it.
- To strike sharply. *Whack it.*
- A blow. *A hard whack.*
- Out of whack — not working. *Out of whack.*
- Top whack — the highest price. *Top whack.*
- Imitative. *From the 1710s.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | whack | Whack it. |
| Past | whacked | Whacked. |
| Noun | whack | A whack. |
| Adjective | whacking | A whacking great. |
| Related | wacky | Wacky. |
- He whacked the ball hard.Blow.
- The settings are out of whack.Idiom.
- Have a whack at it.Attempt.
Whack idioms
- Out of whack — not functioning properly
- Top whack — the maximum price or amount
- Have a whack at — attempt something
- Whacked out — exhausted or disoriented
- A whacking great — British emphasis meaning very large
Imitative, from the 1710s, of the sound of a sharp blow.
Where does out of whack come from?
Probably from an old sense of whack meaning an agreed share or arrangement, so something out of whack is outside the proper order.
What does top whack mean?
The maximum price or amount, from the sense of whack as a share or portion.