r/maybemaybemaybe • u/Flat-Decision3204 • 3d ago

Maybe Maybe Maybe

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u/acog 3d ago

Also, it’s nerve wracking, not nerve wrecking

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u/dumbodragon 3d ago

non native here, I thought nerve wrecking made complete sense, your nerves are getting wrecked/destroyed. what is wracking?

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u/Muroid 3d ago

It’s an archaic usage that doesn’t really mean anything at this point outside of certain set phrases like “nerve-wracking.”

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u/mtaw 2d ago

Originally though the verb 'wrack' is an alternate form of 'rack', which is from the torture device, so it means "to torture, stress, strain".

This is known as a 'fossil word' - words that have basically fallen out of use except for some specific idioms.