flak

Noun

flak (countable and uncountable, plural flaks)

1. Ground-based anti-aircraft guns firing explosive shells.
   • Another peculiar modern development is that of […] military abbreviations in army orders such as Flak ('Fliegerabwehrkanone' or 'archie')[.]1931, W. E. Collinson, “Review: Neue Wege zum reinen Deutsch”, in The Modern Language Review, volume 26, number 2, page 230
   • […] to consider whether the city was in February 1945 an undefended city within the meaning of the 1907 Hague Convention, it will be necessary to examine the establishment and subsequent total dispersal of the city's flak batteries, before the date of the triple blow.1964, David John Cawdell Irving, The Destruction of Dresden, page 74

   Synonyms:

   ack-ack, AAA, triple-A

2. Anti-aircraft shell fire.
   • At 1057 we were just over the islands and at 1100 the tail gunner reported flak at six o'clock, below.1943 November 29, “Target: Germany”, in Life, page 80
   • Young Ratchford was first reported missing in action and later reported killed in action as of March 9. He was flight engineer on a B-24 Liberator bomber, and his plane was seen to go down in flames just after it had passed over Munster, where it had encountered heavy flak.1971 [1945 August 23], Wilma Ratchford Craig, “Robert Hugh Ratchford”, in Ratchfords . . . I Reckon, Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc., sourced from Gastonia Gazette, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 152

   Synonyms:

   ack-ack

3. (figuratively, informal) Adverse criticism.
   • There’s always been a built-in backlash against big-scale caprices like Raiders of the Lost Ark from people who think that $20 million should be spent on more than entertainment for its own sake. Raiders may also get flak for not being as cuddly-lovable as Star Wars, or for using those old...1981 June 25, Michael Sragow, “Inside ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ - The ultimate Saturday matinee”, in Rolling Stone
   • This filter Herman and Chomsky call “flak,” which refers to letters, speeches, phone calls, and other forms of group and individual complaints. Advertisers and broadcasters avoid programming content that might cause large volumes of flak.1990, Joel H. Spring, The American School, 1642-1990, page 380
4. (informal) A public-relations spokesperson.
   • AIM head, Reed Irvine's diatribes are frequently published, and right-wing network flaks who regularly assail the “liberal media,” such as Michael Ledeen, are given Op-ed column space, sympathetic reviews, and a regular place on talk shows as experts.2006, Edward Herman, Noam Chomsky, A Propaganda Model, in 2006 [2001], Meenakshi Gigi Durham, Douglas Kellner (editors), Media and Cultural Studies: Keyworks, revised edition, page 277