While I was doing my last post, I used the expressing "racking my brain" I wasn't sure on the spelling, whether it was racking or wracking so I googled it and I learned something...
The word rack in racking (one's) brain is thus spelled. That is because it derives from the rack, the medieval instrument of torture on which a victim was slowly stretched. (This stems from the familiar rack 'a framework'.) This rack was used as a verb meaning 'to torture on the rack', and hence in the transferred sense 'to torture', and then figuratively 'to stretch or strain', which is the sense in rack (one's) brain.
Won't forget how to spell racking any time soon. Won't be posting any pictures to go along with this post either.
The word rack in racking (one's) brain is thus spelled. That is because it derives from the rack, the medieval instrument of torture on which a victim was slowly stretched. (This stems from the familiar rack 'a framework'.) This rack was used as a verb meaning 'to torture on the rack', and hence in the transferred sense 'to torture', and then figuratively 'to stretch or strain', which is the sense in rack (one's) brain.
Won't forget how to spell racking any time soon. Won't be posting any pictures to go along with this post either.
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