a fair crack of the whip Definition

crack
verb cracked, cracking

tr & intr
1. To fracture or cause to fracture partially without falling to pieces.

Thesaurus: split, sever, break, cleave, rend, burst.
tr & intr
2. To split or make something split.
tr & intr
3. To make or cause to make a sudden sharp noise.
4. To strike sharply.

Thesaurus: strike, punch, clip, slap, clap, clout, pop.
tr & intr
5. To give way or make someone or something give way.

Example: He finally cracked under the pressure
6. To force open (a safe).
7. To solve (a code or problem).

Thesaurus: solve, decode, answer, figure out.
8. To tell (a joke).
intr
9. Said of the voice: to change pitch or tone suddenly and unintentionally.
tr & intr
10. chem.
To break down long-chain hydrocarbons produced during petroleum refining into lighter more useful short-chain products.

noun

1. A sudden sharp sound.
2. A partial fracture in a material produced by an external force or internal stress, often originating in a defective region of the material.

Thesaurus: crevice, fissure, cleft, rift, break, split, cut, chink.
3. A narrow opening.
4. A resounding blow.

Thesaurus: blow, hit, thwack, stroke.
5. colloq
A joke.
Thesaurus: joke, wisecrack, remark, return, witticism, jest.
6. slang
A highly addictive derivative of cocaine, consisting of hard crystalline lumps that are heated and smoked.
Form: crack cocaine (in full)

adj

1. colloq
Expert.
Example: a crack shot

Idiom: at the crack of dawn

colloq
At daybreak; very early.

Idiom: a fair crack of the whip

A fair opportunity.

Idiom: get cracking

colloq
To make a prompt start with a journey, undertaking, etc.

Idiom: have a crack at something

colloq
To attempt it.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon cracian to resound.

Phrasal Verb: crack down on someone or something

To take firm action against them or it.

Phrasal Verb: crack up

To suffer an emotional breakdown.

Phrasal Verb: crack something up

To praise it extravagantly; giving the impression that it is better than it is.
Example: This job is not all it's cracked up to be

---

whip
noun

1. A lash with a handle for driving animals or punishing people.

Thesaurus: lash, switch, cat-o'-nine-tails, riding-crop, horsewhip, jambok (US), cane, thong, rawhide.
2. A stroke administered by, or as if by, such a lash.
3. A whipping action or motion.
4. Someone accustomed to using, or proficient with, a whip, especially a driver or coachman.
5. politics.
A member of a parliamentary party responsible for members' discipline, and for their attendance to vote on important issues.
6. politics.
A notice sent to members by a party whip requiring their attendance for a vote, urgency being indicated (in compounds) by the number of underlinings.
Example: a three-line whip
7. A dessert of any of various flavours made with beaten egg-whites or cream.
8. A whipper-in.
9. A simple form of hoisting apparatus consisting of a single rope and block.

verb whipped, whipping

1. To strike or thrash with a whip.
2. To punish someone with lashes or smacking.

Thesaurus: flog, thrash, flagellate, lash, paddle (US), punish, spank, strap, switch, tan.
3. To lash someone or something with the action or force of a whip.

Example: a sharp wind whipped their faces
tr & intr
4. To move or make something move with a sudden or whip-like motion.

Example: the branch whipped back
5. To take or snatch it (off or out).

Example: whipped out a revolver
Form: whip something off (usually)
Form: whip something out
tr & intr
6. To move smartly.

Example: whipped out of sight
7. To rouse, goad, drive or force into a certain state.

Example: whipped the crowd into a fury
8. colloq
To steal.
9. To beat (egg-whites or cream, etc) until stiff.

Thesaurus: agitate, beat, stir, whisk.
10. To make (egg-whites) frothy by rapidly stirring and turning them with a whisk or similar utensil.
11. To wind cord round (a rope, etc) to prevent fraying.
12. To oversew; to sew using whipstitch.
13. colloq
To outdo, outwit or defeat.
Thesaurus: conquer, defeat, smash, lick, trounce, outdo, overpower, bury.

Derivative: whipper
noun

Derivative: whipping
noun, adj

Idiom: a fair crack of the whip

See under crack.

Etymology: 13c.

Phrasal Verb: whip something up

To arouse (support, enthusiasm or other feelings) for something.To prepare (a meal, etc) at short notice.