Noel Stoutenburg wrote:
Christopher Smith wrote:
While I easily found dictionary entries for "wreak havoc", "play
havoc" and "cry havoc", I didn't find one for "wreck havoc." In fact,
given the definition of havoc (mayhem, destruction, etc.) the
expression "wreck havoc" doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
Do you have any citations?
Google hits:
93 hits for <+"wrecked havoc" +etymology>
203 hits for <+"wreaked havoc" +etymology>
1220 hits for <+"wrought havoc" + etymology>
However, at <http://www.takeourword.com/Issue048.html>, Agatha Christie
is credited with first use of "wreaked havoc" in 1923; credit for first
published use of "wrought havoc" is given to Washington Post, in 1978.
That's because "wrought" is a passive verb and putting a direct object
after it turns it into an active verb.
Of course, none of this is really important becuase we all understood
when the original word "reeked" was used, all those posts ago. And
after all, language is for communicating ideas, which that statement did
very well.
--
David H. Bailey
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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