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> In war films, if you ever wondered what a bunch of soldiers standing in a circle shouting "hack!" at each other meant: they're synchronizing their watches. S
by drewcoo 3y ago
> In war films, if you ever wondered what a bunch of soldiers standing in a circle shouting "hack!" at each other meant: they're synchronizing their watches.
Said no one before ever.
For that matter, no group of soldiers ever cried out "hack" while setting their watches in a war movie, either.
Is the entire thing made up?
- griffinkelly 3y agoI'm in the Air National Guard, and its very much a thing. Typically at the beginning or end of a brief/meeting when you're about to go out and do something.
- hinkley 3y agoBut it's not a thing in movies, so nobody wonders why they say that in movies. Because nobody says that in movies. It's been 'synchronize watches' since WWII movies became a thing.
- wrp 3y agoI've seen practically every B-grade and up WWII movie made in English, and I don't remember ever seeing the use of "hack". Anybody please point to movie references if they know any.
- hinkley 3y agoMy memory isn’t what it used to be but I think this is the first time I’ve heard it too, if that wasn’t already clear from my tone above.
- ksaj 3y agoScroll through the comments. Someone quoted a MASH scene that uses it. It's a TV show and not a movie, but at least it's an example in the wild.
- hinkley 3y agoMASH is culturally important but it’s not The Guns of Navarone or A Bridge Too Far. If Bridge on the River Kwai had watches, Sir Alec Guinness would have not yelled hack.
- rconti 3y agoI've never heard "hack" in this context either. "On my mark!" is what I think of.
- matt-attack 3y agoThe minute I read that line, I was actually instantly reminded of an episode of MAS*H where Frank Burns utters that exact expression as he's synchronizing his watch. It's apparently been spinning in the back of my head for decades and now I understand it. Edit: I actually found the script to the episode: https://subslikescript.com/series/MASH-68098/season-4/episode-1-Welcome_to_Korea https://subslikescript.com/series/MASH-68098/season-4/episod... I dropped my watch in the latrine, and I really don't want it back. - Just purse your lips and stand by. - [Making Put-Put Sounds] Coming up 0516, hack! Hack! Now! ## ["Assembly"] - Twenty seconds. - Check. - Hack. - Shut up. - Shutting up, sir!
- twic 3y agoI remember them doing it in Space: Above and Beyond every time they went on a mission on foot. Despite being set in the 2060s, when their watches are presumably connected to Space GPS.