![]() Reformers are racking their brains for a way to slow down these processes. In fact, people have been confusing rack and wrack almost as long as the two. "Lud had been going to wrack and ruin for centuries. The old-fashioned spelling wrack is occasionally used instead of rack in this expression. There are some language guides, generally the ones that pay a lot of attention to the etymology of rack and wrack, that will still say it is racking your brain not wracking your brain, but these are becoming few and far between."But having to be present for merchandise deliveries that Eunice ordered online or on the phone was nerve- racking." (Joseph Wambaugh, Hollywood Moon, 2009) Im wracking my brain How does the joker health bonus scale with Anarchist deck Brian Bakst on Twitter: I WebThis is the original take of the Ringo Starr.The baby's cry is becoming nerve- wracking." (Paddy Chayefsky, The Goddess, 1958) "There is a half-filled baby bottle on the cupboard shelf.His face was strained." (Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, The Yearling, 1938) ![]() The old-fashioned spelling wrack is occasionally used instead of rack in this. "Penny was wracked with sorrow for his friends. to think very hard about something or try very hard to remember it."I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all, I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing." (Agatha Christie, An Autobiography, 1977)."To delight in seeing men stabbed, poisoned, racked, or impaled is certainly the sign of a cruel temper." (Joseph Addison, The Spectator, April 20, 1711).Pinterest: "One bicycle, rusted as if it had been there for years, leaned in the rack, its fenders supporting crescents of white." (John Updike, "Flight." The Early Stories: 1953-1975. Sign up for the Dot and Dash newsletter to get writing tips and tricks and exclusive deals. They are only one letter off.Įrin Servais is the founder of Dot and Dash, LLC, an author-services company focusing on women writers and offering a range of editing, coaching, and social media packages. To remember the difference between rack and wrack think: wrack = wreck. This is why some dictionaries, such as Merriam-Webster, are advocating for using the words interchangeably and treating them as spelling variants. It’s true that rack and wrack have very similar uses. This idea of torturing is why we use rack instead of wrack.Įxample: I found studying for my chemistry final nerve-racking. Something that is nerve-racking tortures your nerves. This idea of stretching is why we use rack instead of wrack.Įxample: I really racked my brain studying for my chemistry final. ![]() When you rack your brain, you are thinking really hard, stretching your brain’s capabilities. Now let’s go over a couple common phrases using one of these words. Wrack comes from a word meaning “to be shipwrecked.” Both of these words have pretty gloomy origins, don’t they? Wrack as a verb means “to wreck or ruin something.”Įxample: They sat back as they watched pollution wrack their planet. And when we use it, we signify torturing, especially stretching. Wrack has the slightly different meaning 'to wreck'. It means to torture your brain, to think so hard that it feels like torture. It's from the Medieval torture device, the rack. ![]() I racked my brain trying to remember a friend’s phone number after having lost my phone but failed. Wrack is the correct word, and it is in most ways the same word as wreck. She is going to a hill station with her family a week before. Do not rack your brain trying to plan for her birthday party. Sounds like fun times.Īnyway, that’s where we get this usage of rack. The detective kept racking his brain to solve the mystery when his eyes got stuck at the evidence kept on the table. When a person was placed on the rack, the torturer would crank the device, stretching the person’s limbs until they dislocated them. What does racking their brains expression mean Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Have you ever heard of the medieval torture device called the rack? It was a wooden frame with a crank attached to it. Definition of racking their brains in the Idioms Dictionary. ('Wrack,' a now-archaic word meaning wreckage or destruction, is also often spelled 'rack.') Used especially in the phrase 'go to wrack and ruin.' The wrack and ruin of my grandfathers estate pains me greatly. Rack as a verb means “to torture or cause great suffering.” cliché Utter destruction or ruination severe or total decay or degradation, as from disuse or lack of upkeep. What’s the difference between rack and wrack? Let’s take a look at their definitions, how to use them in popular phrases, and a mnemonic device to help you remember which is which. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |