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Usenet Posted 17 years ago
Usage
The distinction of "wreak havoc" versus "wreck havoc"
According to
http://dict.yqie.com/english/w/wreak.htm
(quote)
Wreak is sometimes confused with wreck, perhaps because the wreaking of damage may leave a wreck: The storm wreaked (not wrecked ) havoc along the coast. The past tense and past participle of wreak is wreaked, not wrought, which is an alternative past tense and past participle of work.
(/quote)
I live in Taiwan, where almost every summer typhoons inflict destruction.
And yet no one can seem to stop talking about "wrecking havoc" and "wrecked havoc."
http://dict.yqie.com/english/w/wreak.htm
(quote)
Wreak is sometimes confused with wreck, perhaps because the wreaking of damage may leave a wreck: The storm wreaked (not wrecked ) havoc along the coast. The past tense and past participle of wreak is wreaked, not wrought, which is an alternative past tense and past participle of work.
(/quote)
I live in Taiwan, where almost every summer typhoons inflict destruction.
And yet no one can seem to stop talking about "wrecking havoc" and "wrecked havoc."
Top answer
htm (quote) Wreak is sometimes confused with wreck, perhaps because the wreaking of damage may leave a wreck: ... every summer typhoons inflict destruction. "[/nq] That many people speak English there?
- htm (quote) Wreak is sometimes confused with wreck, perhaps because the wreaking of damage may leave a wreck: ...
- every summer typhoons inflict destruction.
- "[/nq] That many people speak English there?
- Or you hang around with a lot of people whose native language is English and they use either phrase a lot?
- Wrecking havoc would be ruining the havoc, which I guess would mean making things peaceful again and putting things back the way they used to be.
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3 Answers
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[nq:1]According to http://dict.yqie.com/english/w/wreak.htm (quote) Wreak is sometimes confused with wreck, perhaps because the wreaking of damage may leave a wreck: ... every summer typhoons inflict destruction. And yet no one can seem to stop talking about "wrecking havoc" and "wrecked havoc."[/nq]
That ma
That ma
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[nq:1](quote) Wreak is sometimes confused with wreck, perhaps because the wreaking of damage may leave a wreck:[/nq]
This may be prevalent in other countries, but in the U.S. I have never heard "wreck" used in place of "wreak". That said, the only time I see or hear the word "wreak" used is in "wreak havoc", indicating that if you have havoc it must be wreaked, and you can't wreak anything oth
This may be prevalent in other countries, but in the U.S. I have never heard "wreck" used in place of "wreak". That said, the only time I see or hear the word "wreak" used is in "wreak havoc", indicating that if you have havoc it must be wreaked, and you can't wreak anything oth
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[nq:2](quote) Wreak is sometimes confused with wreck, perhaps because the wreaking of damage may leave a wreck:[/nq]
[nq:1]This may be prevalent in other countries, but in the U.S. I have never heard "wreck" used in place of ... "wreak havoc", indicating that if you have havoc it must be wreaked, and you can't wreak anything other than havoc.[/nq]
I read here, indirectly, that you can wrea
[nq:1]This may be prevalent in other countries, but in the U.S. I have never heard "wreck" used in place of ... "wreak havoc", indicating that if you have havoc it must be wreaked, and you can't wreak anything other than havoc.[/nq]
I read here, indirectly, that you can wrea
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