to tack to and fro

[parsley1]

Hi guys
I want to know the meaning of "to tack to and fro" altogether. Please notice again that I want to know the whole meaning not just "to and fro" meaning...
Thanks in advance

 

[J&K Tutoring]

What did you find in your dictionary?

 

[SoothingDave]

Context?

 

[parsley1]

What did you find in your dictionary?

Nothing about all together! As I mentioned there are definitions for "to and fro" that says something like "back and forth", but I need to know the meaning of the whole expression...

 

[parsley1]

Context?

Chess...

 

[parsley1]

Chess...

The whole sentence: "It was rather typical of X to tack to and fro in this manner."

 

[SoothingDave]

It's a nautical metaphor.

tack

noun (1) Definition of tack (Entry 2 of 4)


1 : a small short sharp-pointed nail usually having a broad flat head

2a : the direction of a ship with respect to the trim of her sails starboard tack
b : the run of a sailing ship on one tack
c : a change when close-hauled from the starboard to the port tack or vice versa
d : a zigzag movement on land
e : a course or method of action especially : one sharply divergent from that previously followed

 

[jutfrank]

The whole sentence: "It was rather typical of X to tack to and fro in this manner."

Look at the phrase in this manner. This phrase tells me that the writer has explained exactly what he means by tack to and fro in the previous passage. Read again the previous few sentences, think about the kind of strategy that the chess player is using, and you will find the answer to your question.

You can learn to understand meaning from context. Apply what you already know about the normal uses of the vocabulary to your understanding of the situation being described.




(Note to mods: Since this is a specific question about a particular use of language, I don't think it belongs in the general language discussions section.)

 

[parsley1]

Look at the phrase in this manner. This phrase tells me that the writer has explained exactly what he means by tack to and fro in the previous passage. Read again the previous few sentences, think about the kind of strategy that the chess player is using, and you will find the answer to your question.

You can learn to understand meaning from context. Apply what you already know about the normal uses of the vocabulary to your understanding of the situation being described.




(Note to mods: Since this is a specific question about a particular use of language, I don't think it belongs in the general language discussions section.)

Thanks bro. Your notation is right about most of the contexts but here it's a chess game and it refers to the last move (and usual style of the player during his career). I understand the whole meaning but I was (and a little am!) confused with "tack" in the expression but as SoothingDave mentioned it seems a metaphor and I should solve this word (tack) in the whole text meaning!

 

[jutfrank]

Thanks bro.

Like, no problem, dude. Awesome.

 

[Rover_KE]

parsely6, how on earth were we supposed to know that this was about chess?

Please give us the full context of your questions in post #1 rather than #6.