Can anyone tell me.....

[cee-dee]

Why is what used to be a tip, good idea or hint now called a "hack"?

A hack is when someone chops something, like hacking undergrowth, hacking a branch off a bush or tree or even hacking someone to death?

[bidicus*maximus]

I don't know... I wonder why the pound sign is called a hash tag???

[margaret*e]

I was just going to say I've never heard that, then I remembered I've heard it on tv a few times.

No idea why though, probably something to do with computers.

That was a lot of help.😁

[******lynda******]

I guess because you'd hack through undergrowth to make progress easier, so a hack can also be a shortcut to facilitate some other action. 

I guess language just evolves. I've learned an improvement is a 'buff' and the opposite of buff is a 'nerf' 🤣 Both words can be used as verbs, too. 

We oldies have had to learn a whole new language and meanings for bump, firehose, footprint, tag, virus, block, catfish, ping, swipe, tablet, mouse etc etc etc

some more logical than others 😁

[btr.style]

A hack is when someone takes control of your computer, personal details or so on. I.e, "that businesses website was hacked by hackers who deleted the entire site"

Somewhere, probably around the mainstream "L33T" talk era, it started being used to describe tips. I guess it's a non literal use of a word with a different meaning. Terms like "lets BEAT this" existed way before and the BEAT part of it isn't as in literally beating. Someone just thought it's a way to describe something in a dramatic way, i.e not to pass somethng, but to BEAT or SMASH. 

The word TIP just doesn't have much of an impact, HACK is a much stronger word. So I think that stronger word nature puts more emphasis on it being a bigger thing that it is. Again, i.e... "Here's a quick tip... yada yada"... or... "Here's a hack", hack makes it sound much better than something being a tip.

[cee-dee]

Well "hack" to me sounds like someone is unwell eg "He has a hacking cough". Also it reminds me of what someone "hacks up"..... 🤢

[*guinevere*]

I also know "hack" as a slightly derogatory term for writer or journalist.

If you put the word "hack" into Google it comes up with a whole myriad of meanings, too many to list here.

It's a strange one but I still prefer the word "tip" if it's a short cut.

[tuckerbigdaddy5ngv]

Back is newspeak for ignore .where have they hidden the quotes on this stupid kindle ?

[mrs-trebus16]

Because to hack something is to cheat to make it easier by cutting corners

I agree with you, when a computer is hacked it used to mean you've been got by a virus but, words' meanings change for example, sick used to mean someone was poorly, ill. Nowadays it means something is great, fantastic

Why? No idea!