slack-key

[ slak-kee ]

/ ˈslækˌki /

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a style of Hawaiian popular music played on an acoustic guitar with strings tuned to notes lower than standard guitar tuning for more bass resonance.

noting or pertaining to this style of music.

QUIZZES

In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”

Question 1 of 7

The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

First recorded in 1975–80; slack¹ (in the sense “loose, not taut”) + key¹; translation of Hawaiian kī hō‘alu, equivalent to kī “key” + hō‘alu “slack”

Getting men to do their share of care and domestic work is a key overlooked strategy in reducing poverty.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
By contrast, Solomon can tell us a great deal about what really changed the country—because at key moments, he was there.
The Real Story Behind the Fight for Marriage Equality|E.J. Graff|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The second lesson is that no one writing before the twentieth century holds a key to our problems.
American Democracy Under Threat for 250 Years|Jedediah Purdy|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As with so many things, keeping screen time in moderate amounts seems key.
Yes, Your Toddler Can Watch TV: The New Rules for Screen Time|Russell Saunders|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The opposition responded with a month-long Occupy Abay (like Occupy Wall St) campaign, in which Udaltsov was one of key figures.
Behind Bars for the Holidays: 11 Political Prisoners We Want to See Free In 2015|Movements.Org|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mr. Jones swung round a large iron key he held in his hand, and light dawned upon him.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
Mr. Collingwood, taking the key from his mother, locked the little door in the boarding, after them.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
About her neck was hung a covered basket and a door-key; and Davy at once concluded that she was Sindbad's house-keeper.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
The girl smiled, and drew out a large key, and nodded, still smiling as she replaced it.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
The friends were standing close to the wall; but on these sounds they moved away; and a key presently turned in the door.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter