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reign / rein

May 25, 2016

A king or queen reigns, but you rein in a horse. The expression “to give rein” means to give in to an impulse as a spirited horse gives in to its impulse to gallop when you slacken the reins. Similarly, the correct expression is “free rein,” not “free reign.”

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By yanira.vargas
Categories: Common Error
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