Whack

J is going to kill me for this blog but it's too interesting not to write it. About 6 years ago we were driving along, minding our own business (well actually J was driving and I was the passenger) and some kid in a supped up weed whacker car (that's what I call cars that buzz instead of rumble as the engine revs) pulled up next to us at a red light. I don't remember all the details but at one point after we started driving again, J got very annoyed at the kid. He kept revving his engine and getting close to us, probably wanting to race or something. Very interesting since we weren't in a very fast car at all. At one point, J got so annoyed that he rolled down his window and screamed out, wait for it, wait for it.... "You're Whack!!!!".

Yea, "You're Whack" as the terminology used back in the 90's to describe someone who is crazy, displeasing or undesirable. Here's the full definition for those of you too young to remember this term like me.

I teased J about this for years and never really heard it again until today...

I was talking to a Microsoft Visio instructor and he was verbally telling me how to get to a website. He said "Go to Microsoft.com whack Visio" or something like that. Now, I knew what he meant when he said "whack" but I had never heard it used that way. Of course I had to point it out and say that I've never heard that "whack" replaced forward slash and of course all the cool geeks in the room said "that's been out forever, where have you been?!". Yea, really annoying that I don't know the geek term. Even more annoying that I've teased J for using it and now I have to use it in front of my geek friends.

So, before writing this blog, I decided to Google "whack" and found a lot of information. For one, do not ever use the term "whack" to describe a back slash as explained here: http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/w/whack.htm That's a geek no-no.
I find that the term "Whack" is used in many different ways and is sometimes spelled "Wack". There was a song in 2005 that came out called "You're Whack" or something like that. That's not interesting though. Then I found what should be J's favourite website - http://www.freshorwack.com/. Yea... they use it way too much.

Anyway, for those of you who don't use "whack" today, please start using it to describe a forward slash so that it can go from "geek" to "chique" quickly.

Thanks,
-s