I often hear the phrase "rant & rave" used in the negative sense, as in:
Bob would often steer the conversation off course, ranting and raving about rush hour traffic that morning.
But "rave" (when used alone) has an unambiguously positive connotation (e.g., Sarah raved about the delicious tomato soup). And "rant" used alone seems to mean essentially the same thing as "rant AND rave."
My question: is it correct to use the phrase "rant & rave" when you're only complaining, or should you use the phrase when you have both praise and criticism to heap upon something?
Best Answer
The idiomatic expression dates back to the 17th century and means to shout angrily and wildly. The expression is generally used with a negative connotation, but to “rave” isn’t quite as positive as you seem to believe.
According to the following extract from The Grammarphobia both terms are used with the negative connotations that were in vogue at that time:
To rant has a later origin and dates back from the early 17th century: