Simi  +  312385 Mon, 08 Jan 07 01:31 AM Hi,            Are the two idioms "On the verge of something" and "On the brink of something" opposite in sense to each other? And if yes, why so? Thanks! Simi Joined on Thu, Jan 4 2007 Junior Member 80 My theory is that if you look confident you can pull off anything - even if you have no clue what you're doing. --Jessica Alba Idioms

	Grammar Geek  +  312386 Mon, 08 Jan 07 01:41 AM They have the same meaning to me. Both mean something is just about to happen. Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,508 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!

	Marius Hancu  +  312605 Mon, 08 Jan 07 02:30 PM  Anonymous wrote: I agree - both mean much the same thing, but I think "on the brink" is used more when it's something negative ie on the brink of war, brink of bankruptcy, on the brink of a nervous breakdown, on the brink of disaster. Well, I'd have thought the same, but look here: -------- on the verge of Close to, on the brink of, as in I was on the verge of calling the doctor when he suddenly got better, or Sara was on the verge of tears when she heard the news. This term uses verge in the sense of "the brink or border of something." [Mid-1800s] http://www.answers.com/topic/on-the-verge-of ------- Marius Hancu Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006 Veteran Member 11,673 Negatives