Hello Grafted In Readers,
Occasionally, I like to share something I have read and learned with you. This post will meet that objective.
Below, I am pasting a learning quiz of sorts from the Collins Dictionary Language Learner Blog.
I'll give you a spoiler: either of the word spellings for these specific words are said to be okay. However, one spelling is said to be preferred over the other.
I also want to thank you for dropping by and paying this blog and me a visit! Okay, the word post coming up
July 14, 2025
Which is correct: rack your brains or wrack your brains; rack and ruin or wrack and ruin; nerve-racking or nerve-wracking? This article tells you which you should use.
rack your brains
If you rack your brains, you try very hard to think of something. For example:
She began to rack her brains to remember what had happened at the nursing home.
The correct verb to use is ‘rack’ but the phrase wrack your brains is also commonly used.
rack and ruin
If you say that a place is going torack and ruin, you are emphasizing that it is slowly becoming less attractive or less pleasant because no-one is bothering to look after it.
Wrack and ruin is also commonly used, although ‘rack’ is considered the standard usage.
nerve-racking
A nerve-racking situation or experience makes you feel very tense and worried.
They spent a nerve-racking day waiting.
It was more nerve-wracking than taking a World Cup penalty.
‘Nerve-racking’ is the standard usage, but nerve-wracking is also commonly used.
The presentation of a speech can be a nerve-wracking experience.
All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company,
The Lord bless and keep us until next we meet.
David C. Russell
Mellow Rock
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