The slang sense of "cope with" (as in can't hack it) is recorded in American English by 1955, with a notion of "get through by some effort," as a jungle (phrase hack after "keep working away at" is attested from late 14c.). To hack around "waste time" is U.S. slang, by 1955.
The US 1955 slang 'hack around', is to waste time. A description that applies way too often, for users on the peripherary of technology and tech education, I'm afraid.
The slang sense of "cope with" (as in can't hack it) is recorded in American English by 1955, with a notion of "get through by some effort," as a jungle (phrase hack after "keep working away at" is attested from late 14c.). To hack around "waste time" is U.S. slang, by 1955.
The US 1955 slang 'hack around', is to waste time. A description that applies way too often, for users on the peripherary of technology and tech education, I'm afraid.