Mail Online, November 11, 2024
This is a common error. The word for ‘coming under intense criticism’ is ‘flak’, which evolved during the Second World War as a contraction of the German word Flugabwehrkanone meaning ‘aircraft defence cannon’ or anti-aircraft fire. I note that there are some internet sites which say that ‘flack’ is the right spelling, but this is nonsense. The only correct use of ‘flack’, as far as I am concerned, is an Americanism meaning a press or PR agent. Or poor old Caroline Flack.