I ricked my ankle today coming downstairs… or did I wrick my ankle? Apparently, wrick is an alternative spelling but I have never come across it until today. It comes, maybe, from the German verb wricken which means to move in a jerky way; wricken may have become wrikken in Middle English. It also means to sprain, and that is what I meant… except that I have always understood that to rick/wrick your ankle/back/neck is less serious than spraining the joint. A rick to me is a slight twisting, turning or putting out the particular part of the body.. something which is temporarily painful but not as bad or as long lasting as a sprain. Can you rick other parts – your writs or elbow for example? I’m not sure but I’ve never heard of anyone having a wicked writs for example. It seems it might also mean a sudden cramp or muscle spasm, but I’ve never heard of it used in that way.
Rick in this sense is not to be confused with a hay rick (and apperntly a straw or pea (?) rick) which comes from Old English hrēac which in turn is related to the Old Norse hraukr which does mean a pile or stack of something!
Lois Elsden 