Etymology of "wacko"

[Joel S. Berson]

At 1/15/2006 10:09 AM, you wrote:
>don't think "wacky" has much to do with WACs.  The OED cites a
>definition in the 1935 _J of Abnormal Psychology_ of "wacky" as
>'insane' and derives it from "whack", as in "out of ____", which in
>turn is cited in 1885.
>
>larry

And reading the J of Abnormal Psychology is E. Queen:

wack OED2 n.1 1938 'E. Queen' Four of Hearts (1939) i. 9 All you
wacks act this way at first. Them that can take it snaps out of it.

Joel