www.alphadictionary.com

This morning I found myself saying that I couldn't hack something. Then I looked up the word hack which comes from hackney (treated by Dr G in 09) and found an incredible array of uses. It applies to a taxi, a hired writer, even a horse. But I had to find a computer dictionary to find anoth array of meanings as a noun or a verb. The most popular meaning today, I suppose, is to violate another computer's privacy by a program especially written to eavesdrop and perhaps alter the software. Hack also refers to short programs written to solve a problem or the process of creating them. But my use this morning referred directly to none of these. I meang that I couldn't stand it or deal with it. My very bright kids couldn't hack foreign languages nor math. One of the most varied uses of a word I've found.

I did a little internet search and found a broad array of definition for "hack" also. I can't wait to look it up in some of my old dictionaries at home...