whack (redirected from whacks)

*try at someone and *shot at someone; *crack at someone; *go at someone *stab at someone

an attempt to convince someone of something; an attempt to try to get information out of someone; an attempt to try to train someone to do something. (The expressions with shot and crack are more informal than the main entry phrase. (*Typically: take ~; have ~; give someone ~.) Let me have a crack at him. I can make him talk. Let the new teacher have a try at Billy. She can do marvels with unwilling learners. Give me a crack at him. I know how to make these bums talk.

See also: try

*try at something and *shot at something; *crack at something; *go at something; *stab at something; *whack at something

to take a turn at trying to do something. (*Typically: take ~; have ~; give someone ~.) All of us wanted to have a try at the prize-winning shot. Let Sally have a shot at it. If you let me have a crack at it, maybe I can be successful.

See also: try

whack someone or something up

Sl. to damage someone or something. Bob got mad at Greg and whacked him up. Clara whacked up her car yesterday.

See also: up

whack something

up Sl. to chop something up. In about an hour, he had whacked the tree up into small logs. Have you whacked up the chicken for frying yet?

whack something off 

1. Sl. to complete something easily or quickly. If you want a pair of these, I can whack them off for you in a few minutes. The artisan whacked off a set of the earrings in a few minutes.

2. Sl. to cut or chop something off. A tree branch is rubbing against the house. I guess I'll go out and whack that branch off. Whack off that other branch while you are at it.

---

out of whack 

1. (American & Australian informal) if something is out of whack, it is not working as it should You can use Carol's old bike - the gears are out of whack, but it still goes. If I don't take any exercise for a while it throws my whole body out of whack.

2. (American & Australian informal) confused and badly organized The state budget is way out of whack and politicians are blaming an influx of immigrants. Our spending priorities are out of whack.

See also: out

---

out of whack

1. not working well or not in good condition out of kilter Lifting boxes in and out of the truck threw his back out of whack.

2. not matching out of kilter What we were told just now is basically out of whack with the facts.

See also: out