hacker

[Dan Goncharoff]

Can't most of the "definitions" of "hack" being discussed fall under
the term "hit crudely", whether one uses one's hands, feet, racquets
or golf clubs?

DanG

On Thu, Jul 29, 2010 at 5:11 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: hacker
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>
> 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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