rack and ruin, go to
go to wrack and ruin
cliché To fall into severe or total decay, degradation, or ruination, as from disuse or lack of upkeep. ("Wrack," a now-archaic word meaning wreckage or destruction, is also often spelled "rack.") It greatly pains me that my grandfather's estate has been left to go to wrack and ruin. If only we'd been able to afford for someone to look after it all these years. The neighbor's property has really gone to wrack and ruin lately. I'm thinking about filing a complaint with the neighborhood association!
See also: and, go, ruin, wrack
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
rack and ruin, go to
Also, go to wrack and ruin. Become decayed, decline or fall apart, as in After the founder's death the business went to rack and ruin. These expressions are emphatic redundancies, since rack and wrack (which are actually variants of the same word) mean "destruction" or "ruin." [Mid-1500s]
See also: and, go, rack
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
- be careful what you wish for(, it might (just) come true)
- do not try this at home
- reliance
- reliance on
- reliance on (someone or something)
- a sight to behold
- be all Greek to someone
- Greek to me
- Greek to me, it's
- (it's) (all) Greek to me