able whackets noun[plural only]1 •(slang, historical) Blows on the hand from a knotted or twisted handkerchief, especially given as a punishment to the loser of certain card games.The chief amusement or game in use in the midshipmen's berth, was ‘able whackets’, a pastime in which cards, blasphemy, and hard knocks were agreeably mingled. — 1905
