In message , Ian Jackson
writes:
In message , "J. P. Gilliver
(John)" writes
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes:
[]
*Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?
[]
What equipment that's out of it hasn't had enough of? (Perhaps an
English version of a kilter?)

Anything "out of whack" needs a top-up whack in order to fine-tune it
back into spec. All good engineers know that.

That's what I said ["hasn't had enough of"] (-:. What we used to call
percussive maintenance. Actually worked quite well in the days of things
with valveholders, or which otherwise experienced thermal cycling that
exposed any loose connection. (And still does, sometimes - it's
certainly tempting!)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

If it's pretentious, then at least it's not the sort that wears a horned helmet
and shrieks about trolls. - Stuart Maconie in Radio Times, 14-20 November 2009.