rack and ruin

English

Etymology

1599, variant of wrack and ruin.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

rack and ruin (uncountable)

1. (idiomatic, proscribed) Complete destruction.
   • 1599, Thomas Fowler, The history of Corpus Christi College:

     In the mean season the College shall goe to rack and ruin.

Usage notes

Etymologically incorrect, due to confusion of rack (“torture, suffer”) with wrack (“destroy”). Correct is wrack and ruin, which is accordingly preferred by style guides; however, both are common and well-established. Unusually, rack and ruin replaces wrack with rack, presumably by alliteration; other confusions instead replace rack with wrack.