yak (yack)

1.

vb, n

(to indulge in) incessant talk, idle chatter. The word imitates the sound of monotonous, grating and/or inane speech. Nowadays variants of the verb form such as 'yak away' or 'yak on' are often preferred.

► 'How much longer are you going to be yakking into that damn phone? We're late.' (Recorded, middle-class woman, Bristol, 1989)

2.

n

a laugh, joke or instance of humour. Yok is an alternative form, favoured in fashionable journalism.

3.

n

the yak

American

cognac, brandy. The use of the term reflects a vogue for expensive cognacs among US rap and hip hop stars, such as Busta Rhymes and Puff Daddy, from 2002.

Compare Hennessey