My brain, why?

[fredericks]

[Poll #1765505]

I ask because I've come across "free reign" twice in works of authors whose writing I generally admire (fanfic, not pro fic, so there's that). I read a metric shit ton of Saddle Club books when I was younger and "free rein" just makes more *sense,* in that it's implied that the party involved has liberty to do whatever. Whereas "free reign" just seems redundant... unless you're a monarchial history buff and you want to make some subtle commentary about dowagers and puppet heads of state and the like.

Yes. I am weird. I know this.

ETA - K, I realize how silly this is, particularly when speaking of fanfic, where it's not uncommon to see "prostrate" used incorrectly. Don't people use betas?

Comments

[mysticalchild_isis]

"Free rein" is the correct expression, but I think the other is so very omnipresent, that it might even be accepted as as second usage, now? I don't have any of my grammar guides handy at the moment...

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

I voted for "free rein" because as you said, that seems to be the most logical. But "free reign" doesn't give me the horrible knee jerk reaction that an incorrectly used "prostrate" does, and now I'm starting to wonder if I've written it incorrectly myself. Hmm.

In related news, someone was complaining about the incorrect use of "blown pupils" the other day and it's been grating on me ever since.

[etcetera-cat.livejournal.com]

I picked "free rein" because, well, that's the primary used one, but "free reign" actually works as well, and now i'm wondering how often I've maybe not noticed which one has been used.

Prostrate for prostate makes my medically trained brain cry sad tears of woe, mainly because it's something I deal with a lot at work (also, "spayded" and "neutereded" for "spayed" and "neutered" respectively, and the sometimes... aggravating infuriating truly baffling charmingly inept pronounciations of everything from drug names (both brand and generic. I thought the pharm companies designed the brand names so that they were easy for people to say?) to diseases to Things They've Googled And Are Now Obsessed With)

[captainschlumpy.livejournal.com]

lol! I get sick of seeing then instead of than. I'm pretty sure it's "greater than" not "greater then" but I could be wrong.

[utopiantrunks.livejournal.com]

Arghl. I just clicked the wrong one, hit send, and immediately went, "What the Eff, UT. Stupid." Clearly it is too late at night for me to be answering English questions.

[raptorgirl.livejournal.com]

Argh! I accidentally voted wrong! Put me down for "free rein."