rack (redirected from racking brains)

go to rack/wrack and ruin (old-fashioned)

if a building goes to rack and ruin, its condition becomes very bad because no one is taking care of it. She's let that house go to rack and ruin since Clive died.

on the rack

anxious, often because you are waiting for something or because people are asking you difficult questions. You're left on the rack for three days waiting for the results from the hospital. Here was a respected politician being put on the rack (= asked a lot of difficult questions) by aggressive junior politicians.

rack your brain/brains

to think very hard, usually in order to remember something or to find a solution to a problem. I've been racking my brains but I still can't remember who wrote that play.

See also: brain

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off the rack

1. at the usual price. Members can get discounts of up to 50 percent on the hotels' off-the-rack rates.

2. from among the goods available in stores. We are requiring contestants to buy their outfits off the rack and banning custom-made costumes.

rack your brains

to try very hard to remember or think of something. She racked her brains for a subject they could discuss without an argument.

See also: brain

rack up something

1. to obtain a large amount of something. We racked up a lot of miles on our last vacation. Laura is starting to rack the money up now.

2. to score a large number of points. Even though Miller racked up 28 points, the team still lost.