crackerjack

[ krak-er-jak ]

noun

1. a person or thing that shows marked ability or excellence.

adjective

1. of marked ability; exceptionally fine.

crackerjack

/ ˈkrækəˌdʒæk /

adjective

1. excellent

noun

1. a person or thing of exceptional quality or ability

Word History and Origins

Origin of crackerjack¹

1890–95, Americanism; earlier crackajack, rhyming compound based on crack (adjective); -a- as in blackamoor ( def ); jack ¹( def ) in sense “fellow, buddy”

Word History and Origins

Origin of crackerjack¹

C20: changed from crack (first-class) + jack ¹(man)

Example Sentences

And the host, Harris Faulkner, has legitimately impressive skills at cutting him off and redirecting his attention without triggering a tantrum, suggesting she would be a crackerjack at handling the worst dementia patients at a care facility.

From Salon

As a DVD, Blu-ray and now 4K label, Shout! has been dependable and admirable in both curation and presentation, restoring and releasing crackerjack titles from the realms of cult, horror, sci-fi, action, animation, foreign films and throwback TV.

From New York Times

Greene’s crackerjack defense was to insist, “The people criticizing me are not the American people.”

From Seattle Times

He was my student at Cal State Fullerton a decade ago, a crackerjack of a kid from Jalisco who didn’t know what he wanted to do with life but knew the United States was the place to do it in.

From Los Angeles Times

But it retains its chokehold on pop culture not because of its influence, but its quality; this is a crackerjack thriller, cleverly constructed and directed with quicksilver intensity by the great John McTiernan.

From New York Times