hacker

[Joel S. Berson]

At 7/29/2010 04:23 PM, Garson O'Toole wrote:
>Garson wrote:
> >>The excellent HDAS has hacker ^2 n. 1. a. Sports, esp. Tennis & Golf.
> >>a player, often a beginner, demonstrating poor form or mediocre
> >>ability. The first cite is 1949.
>
>Joel wrote"
> > But this too is not the fouler in basketball.
>
>HDAS has: hack ^2 v. 7. Basketball (see 1977 quot.)
>1977 Webster's Sports Dict: Hack 
 To strike the arm of an opponent
>with the hand.

Thanks, Garson.  When you earlier cited from
"Sports" the "beginner" sense, I wondered whether
HDAS, like OED, did not have the "fouler" sense.  You've told me it does.

Joel


>Victor's 1906 cite for "hacking" in Spalding's Official Basket Ball
>Rules helps to illuminate the history of this sense.
>
>
>  Victor wrote:
> > On the other hand, I have also come across the same terminology that
> > Garson found (mediocre player, etc.) but used as "hack" rather than "
> > hacker" (as in, "He's a hack.").
> >
> > This one is from personal experience, so only extends back into the
> > 1980s, although HDAS may have better info. But it also applies to almost
> > any field, not just sports. "Hacker" in this sense seems to be obsolete.
>
>HDAS has: hacker ^2 n. 1.b. Esp. Stu. any person of ordinary or
>mediocre ability, motivation, etc. Also fig.
>1968 is the first cite.
>
>I think both words "hacker" and "hack" are used with this sense.
>
>Garson
>
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org