spelling lesson - wracked

[low_delta]

Just now, in a professional online column, I saw "racked my brain." Two days ago, in the newspaper, I saw "storm-racked."

It's not "racked," it's "wracked." You wrack your brains. You don't rack them. Unless you have several, and you need to explore storage systems.

Comments

[seamusd.livejournal.com]

Those writers merely have billiard balls for brains.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Yah. I think that if these people knew it was spelled with a W, they'd stop using the word. It would then be just too weird.

[lacachet.livejournal.com]

Feel as if I've been seeing more misspelling, everywhere. I think the prevalence of texting has something to do with it.
Edit--I just spell checked this comment and "texting" is not spelled correctly (it says!) *laugh*

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

It seems like it, but I'm not sure. There have always been dumb people. But the ones that stand out to me are the uncommon words, the ones that most people don't know. Like this one. And... when it piques your interest, do you pore over the newspaper?

[raven-nest.livejournal.com]

I am typing information out of books and it amazes me how many errors I am finding, and I can NOT spell, so I don't catch all of them!

[cynnerth.livejournal.com]

They rack their skulls at the Monastic Republic of Holy Mount Athos on a remote peninsula of northern Greece. After death, a monk is buried for three years. Then they open up the grave and transfer his bones to a common burial chamber, except for the skull. It has the birth and death date inscribed on it and is stored on these shelves.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Okay. Why?

[emschin.livejournal.com]

My guess--they need the space so they dig up the bones. It's a little strange--but respectful--that they don't completely give up the skeleton. On the other hand, just records--not skulls would be respectful too.

[whathisname.livejournal.com]

See what happens when they start getting rid of copy editors?

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Oh, is this new?

[emschin.livejournal.com]

After catching up, I came back to this to do a little exploring in the dictionary. I'm a little confused. I use the phrase "wreaked havoc" and I find that in the dictionary. That would make it reasonable to say "wrack your brains".

Are they pretty much the same word, just present or past tense?