Etymology tree
English whack
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Germanic *-gaz
Proto-West Germanic *-g
Old English -iġ
Middle English -y
English -y
English wack(y)
Latin ō
Old French ohbor.
Middle English o
English O
▲
Middle English o
English oh
English -o
English wacko
From wack(y) + -o.
Meanings
(derogatory, informal, slang) Amusingly eccentric or irrational.
de spinnert (amusingly eccentric or irrational) · ru чудной (amusingly eccentric or irrational) · sv knäppgök (amusingly eccentric or irrational) · de schrill (amusingly eccentric or irrational) · de durchgeknallt (amusingly eccentric or irrational)
Etymology tree
English whack
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Germanic *-gaz
Proto-West Germanic *-g
Old English -iġ
Middle English -y
English -y
English wack(y)
Latin ō
Old French ohbor.
Middle English o
English O
▲
Middle English o
English oh
English -o
English wacko
From wack(y) + -o.
Meanings
(UK, dated) Hurrah!
"Wacko! There's a whole pile of letters for me," Jennings cried excitedly, hopping from one foot to the other. 1952, Anthony Buckeridge, Jennings and Darbishire:
Etymology tree
English whack
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Germanic *-gaz
Proto-West Germanic *-g
Old English -iġ
Middle English -y
English -y
English wack(y)
Latin ō
Old French ohbor.
Middle English o
English O
▲
Middle English o
English oh
English -o
English wacko
From wack(y) + -o.
Meanings
(derogatory, slang) An amusingly eccentric or irrational person.
“Environmentalist wackos” — Mr. Limbaugh’s phrase — “want man to be responsible for it because they want to control your behavior,” the conservative host said on the show. 2020 September 15, Michael M. Grynbaum, Tiffany Hsu, quoting Rush Limbaugh, “‘Nothing to Do With Climate Change’: Conservative Media and Trump Align on Fires”, in The New York Times, →ISSN: