Originally Posted By: zmjezhd
I thought it was a malapropism (elsewhere the narrator uses "wreck and ruin")

OK, I'll bite: what's wrong with the phrase wreck and ruin?


The phrase "rack and ruin" first appeared in English literature in the late 16th century, and its longevity as a figure of speech probably owes a lot to the attractive alliteration of its repetitive initial "r" sounds. [The Word Detective]

that 'rack' here is but a variant of 'wreck' is a moot point.

that 'rack' is often spelled 'wrack' in this phrase is even mooter.

-joe (wrack & roll) friday

(p.s. - this is where Bran steps in to explain wrak).