phrases - On the brink/verge/edge of


With on the brink/verge/edge of, is there a distinct difference between these, or do they have more or less the same meaning? Which one is the most informal? Is it all about context?



Answer



No, there’s no distinct difference between those. All can be used metaphorically or literally. On the edge of may be the most common for a literal meaning, and on the verge of for the metaphoric one, but one can find examples of all.


Less-common variants like threshold and cusp are also sometimes seen. There are also physical variants that don’t always work as well when used as metaphors, like margin, limit, or frontier, because these may carry other connotations, like being at the margins of society or the limit of one’s patience.


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