crackjack
Definition
- Noun (US slang):
- An exceptionally skilled person: "crackjack" refers to someone who is extremely proficient or outstanding in a particular field or activity.
- An excellent thing: "crackjack" also denotes something of very high quality or remarkable excellence.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- He is a crackjack at solving complex puzzles. (He is an exceptionally skilled person in solving puzzles.)
- That new software is a real crackjack for data analysis. (That new software is an excellent thing for data analysis.)
Advanced Usage
"to be a crackjack at [something]": to be highly skilled or expert in a specific area.
- She is a crackjack at negotiating business deals. (She is exceptionally proficient in negotiations.)
"a crackjack of a [noun]": an idiomatic expression meaning an outstanding example of something.
- He built a crackjack of a treehouse for his kids. (He built an excellent treehouse.)
Variants and Related Words
- Crackjack (adj): of superior quality or skill (rarely used as an adjective).
- That was a crackjack performance by the orchestra. (That was a superior performance.)
Synonyms
- Expert: a person with comprehensive knowledge or skill in a field.
- Ace: a person who excels at a particular activity.
- Whiz: a person who is very clever or skillful at something.
- Top-notch: of the highest quality or standard.
Related Idioms
- A crackjack hand at [something]: an idiom meaning someone who is very skilled at a particular task.
- He's a crackjack hand at fixing old cars. (He is very skilled at repairing old cars.)
Notes
- This word is primarily used in informal American English and may be considered dated or rare in modern usage. It is often replaced by more common synonyms like "ace" or "whiz."