JULY 22, 2008 | Ever-changing idioms
We recently got an email stating that our entry for "when worst comes to worst" should, in fact, be "when worse comes to worst". Yes, originally this term was "when worse comes to worst", but this idiom, like many others, has evolved through time, to the point that right now it is perfectly acceptable to use both versions.
The same person pointed out that our entry for "vicious circle" should also have "vicious cycle" as a second option. "Vicious cycle" is, in fact, the modified version of the original idiom "vicious circle".
Remember: The rules about using idioms are not as rigid as the rules about using correct grammar. English idioms sometimes have two or more slightly different versions which mean the same thing. This doesn't mean that one is more correct than the others - The one you use often depends on where (which part of the English-speaking world) you're from. To learn more about this, check out our popular American idioms section.
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