Dear Geist,
Which is correct, neck-and-neck or neck-in-neck? A friend of mine who likes the horse races always says “neck-in-neck” to describe a thrilling finish. I can't find any language authority that even mentions it. What say you?
—Bugged, Prince George BC
Dear Bugged,
The term is neck-and-neck, referring to two racing horses in what looks like a tie. Neck-in-neck pops up occasionally, perhaps because a writer has never seen it written and has heard “in” rather than “and” (few of us pronounce that d). You know what your friend means by it, though, and the purpose of language is communication. So we'll throw in the unsolicited note that as annoying behaviours go, this one is pretty small beer.
—The Editors
