Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

R

[rabbit] See: JACK-RABBIT START.

[race] See: DRAG RACE, RAT RACE.

[race against time]{v. phr.} To be in a great hurry to finish a given project by a specified deadline. •/The workers were racing against time to finish the campus modernization project./

[race to stand still]{v. phr.} To be so far behind in one’s work that one must exert an effort similar to that needed to win a race in order simply not to fall even further behind. •/"Could you review this book for us, Professor Brown?" the editor asked. "Unfortunately, no," the professor answered. "I’m so behind in my work that I am racing to stand still."/

[rack and ruin]{n. phr.} Complete decay; condition of decline. •/The entire house had been so neglected that it had gone to rack and ruin./

[rack one’s brain]{v. phr.} To try your best to think; make a great mental effort; especially: to try to remember something you have known. •/Bob racked his brain trying to remember where he left the book./ •/Susan racked her brain trying to guess whom the valentine came from./ •/John racked his brain during the test trying to solve the problem./

[radio ham]{n. phr.} Someone whose hobby is the operating of shortwave radio. •/The code letters C.Q. are used by radio hams to invite other radio hams to join in the conversation./

[rag] See: CHEW THE FAT or CHEW THE RAG, GLAD RAGS.

[rag doll]{n.} A doll made of cloth and filled with soft stuffing. •/My baby brother won’t go to bed without his rag doll./

[ragged] See: RUN RAGGED.

[rag trade]{n. phr.} The clothing industry. •/My brother is working in the rag trade, manufacturing dresses./

[railroad]{v.} To force through; push through by force. •/The bill was railroaded through the state legislature due to the influence of some very wealthy sponsors./

[rain] See: IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS, KNOW ENOUGH TO COME IN OUT OF THE RAIN.

[rain cats and dogs] or [rain buckets] or [rain pitchforks] {v. phr.}, {informal} To rain very hard; come down in torrents. •/In the middle of the picnic it started to rain cats and dogs, and everybody got soaked./ •/Terry looked out of the window and said, "It’s raining pitchforks, so we can’t go out to play right now."/

[rain check]{n.} 1. A special free ticket to another game or show which will be given in place of one canceled because of rain. •/When the drizzle turned into a heavy rain the manager announced that the baseball game would be replayed the next day. He told the crowd that they would be given rain checks for tomorrow’s game as they went out through the gates./ 2. {informal} A promise to repeat an invitation at a later time. •/Bob said, "I’m sorry you can’t come to dinner this evening, Dave. I’ll give you a rain check."/

[rained out]{adj.} Stopped by rain. •/The ball game was rained out in the seventh inning./ •/The Friday night rally in the stadium was rained out./

[rain on]{v. phr.}, {slang} To bring misfortune to (someone); to complain to (someone) about one’s bad luck. •/Don’t rain on me./

[rain or shine]{adv. phr.} 1. If the weather is stormy or if it is fair. •/The parade will start promptly, rain or shine./ 2. No matter; if your luck is good or bad. •/Sam knows he can depend on his family, rain or shine./

[rainproof]{adj.} Resistant to rain; something that will not soak in water; referring to a material that repels water. •/"I don’t need an umbrella," she said, "as my coat is rainproof."/

[rainy day]{n.} A time of need; especially: a time when you really need money. •/Squirrels gather acorns for a rainy day./ •/Each week Mrs. Carlson saved a little money for a rainy day./

[raise a hand] See: LIFT A FINGER.

[raise a row]{v. phr.} To cause a disturbance, a fuss, or a scene. •/He raised quite a row when he noticed that someone had scratched his brand new car./

[raise a stink]{v. phr.} To cause a disturbance; complain; protest strongly. •/Quite a stink was raised in the office when the boss discovered that several employees had left early./

[raise Cain]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be noisy; cause trouble. •/When John couldn’t go on the basketball trip with the team he raised Cain./ •/The children raised Cain in the living room./ Compare: KICK UP A FUSS, RAISE THE DEVIL.

[raise eyebrows]{v. phr.} To shock people; cause surprise or disapproval. •/The news that the princess was engaged to a commoner raised eyebrows all over the kingdom./

[raise funds] or [money] {v. phr.} To solicit donations for a charity or a specific project. •/Our church is trying to raise the funds for a new organ./

[raise hackles] or [raise one’s hackles] {v. phr.} To make (someone) upset or annoyed; arouse hostility. •/Attempts to add new ingredients to the beer raised hackles among all the old brew masters./

[raise havoc] See: PLAY HAVOC WITH.

[raise heck] See: RAISE THE DEVIL.

[raise hob] See: RAISE THE DEVIL.

[raise one’s sights]{v. phr.} To aim high; be ambitious. •/Teenage boys sometimes think too much of themselves and have a tendency to raise their sights too high./

[raise one’s voice]{v. phr.} To speak loudly, as if in anger or in protest. •/"I’m sorry, Mom," Peter said. "I didn’t mean to raise my voice."/

[raise the devil] or [raise heck] or [raise hob] or [raise ned] {v. phr.}, {informal} To make trouble; start a fight or an argument. •/Mr. Black raised heck when he saw the dented fender. He blamed the other driver./ •/Some teenage boys raised the devil in town on Halloween night and damaged a lot of property./ Compare: KICK UP A FUSS.

[raise the roof]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To make a lot of noise; be happy and noisy. •/The gang raised the roof with their singing./ 2. To scold loudly. •/Mother raised the roof when she saw the dog’s muddy footprints on her new bedspread./ Compare: KICK UP A FUSS, RAISE CAIN.

[rake in]{v. phr.} To realize great profits; take in money. •/Because of the heavy snowfall, ski lodge operators in the Rocky Mountains have been raking in the dough this winter season./

[rake off]{v. phr.} To illegally expropriate part of a sum paid. •/The secretary-treasurer of the association has been caught raking off some of the membership dues./

[rake-off] See: KICKBACK.

[rake over the coals] See: HAUL OVER THE COALS.

[rake up]{v. phr.} To expose; gather; bring to light. •/Let’s forget about the past; there’s no need to rake up all those old memories./

[ramble on about]{v. phr.} To chatter on idly and without a purpose. •/When Ted has too much to drink, he always rambles on about the good old days./

[ram down one’s throat] See: SHOVE DOWN ONE’S THROAT.

[random] See: AT RANDOM.

[rank] See: CLOSE RANKS, PULL RANK.

[rank and file]{n. phr.} Ordinary people; the regular membership of an organization; the enlisted privates in the Army. •/The general usually inspects the rank and file on specific national holidays./ •/The secretary of the association sends letters annually to the rank and file./

[rap] See: TAKE THE RAP.

[rap one’s knuckles]{v. phr.} To scold or punish. •/The principal rapped our knuckles for cheating on the test./ •/If you talk back to Dad, you’ll get your knuckles rapped./ •/The club got its knuckles rapped by the principal for hazing new members./ •/Why rap my knuckles? It wasn’t my fault./ Compare: DRESSING DOWN, GIVE IT TO(2).

[rat] See: SMELL A RAT.

[rate] See: AT ANY RATE, FIRST RATE.

[rather] See: HAD RATHER.

[rat on] See: BLOW THE WHISTLE, RAT OUT.

[rat out] or [rat out on] {v. phr.}, {slang} To desert; to leave at a critical time. •/Joe ratted out on Sue when she was seven months pregnant./

[rat race]{n.}, {slang} A very confusing, crowded, or disorderly rush; a confusing scramble, struggle, or way of living that does not seem to have a purpose. •/The dance last night was a rat race. It was too noisy and crowded./ •/School can be a rat race if you don’t keep up with your studies./ •/This job is a rat race. The faster you work, the faster the boss wants you to work./

[rate with someone]{v. phr.} To be esteemed highly by another. •/The professor really rates with both the graduate students and the undergraduates./

[rattle] See: SABRE RAITLING.

[rattle off] or [reel off] {v.} To say quickly without having to stop to think; recite easily and rapidly. •/When Roger was seven he could rattle off the names of all the states in alphabetical order./ •/Joan memorized the "Gettysburg Address" so well that she could reel it off./ •/We asked the waitress what flavors of ice cream she had, and she rattled them off./

[rattle one’s saber]{v. phr.} To threaten another government or country without subsequent acts of war. •/It is considered an act of demagoguery on the part of politicians to rattle their sabers./ Compare: YELLOW JOURNALISM.

[rave about]{v. phr.} To talk very enthusiastically about someone or something. •/Hank praised the new TV show very highly but we didn’t think it was anything to rave about./

[raw] See: IN THE RAW.

[raw deal]{n. phr.} Unfair treatment; inequity. •/Barry got a raw deal when he was sent to teach the class on advanced nuclear physics; he’s an inexperienced graduate student./

[razzle-dazzle]{n.}, {slang} Fancy display; showing off. •/He is such a good player that he doesn’t have to add razzle-dazzle to his game./ •/Do we need all this razzle-dazzle to advertise our fair?/

[reach] See: BOARDING HOUSE REACH.

[reach first base] See: GET TO FIRST BASE.

[reach for the sky]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To put your hands high above your head or be shot. — Usually used as a command. •/A holdup man walked into a gas station last night and told the attendant "Reach for the sky!"/ Syn.: HANDS UP. 2. To set one’s aims high. •/"Why medical technician?" asked her father. "Reach for the sky! Become a physician!"/

[read between the lines]{v. phr.} To understand all of a writer’s meaning by guessing at what he has left unsaid. •/Some kinds of poetry make you read between the lines./ •/A clever foreign correspondent can often avoid censorship by careful wording, leaving his audience to read between the lines./

[read into]{v. phr.} To attribute extra meaning to; deduce from; consider to be implicit in. •/Just because Fred’s letters sounded so friendly Mary was wrong to read anything serious into them./

[read off]{v. phr.} To read in a speaking voice from a list. •/The secretary read off the names of those present in alphabetical order./

[read one like a book]{v. phr.}, {informal} To understand someone completely; know what he will think or do at any time. •/John’s girlfriend could read him like a book./ Compare: READ ONE’S MIND.

[read one one’s rights]{v. phr.} To give to an arrested person the legally required statement regarding the rights of such a person. •/"Read him his rights," Sergeant," the captain said, "and book him for breaking and entering."/

[read one’s mind]{v. phr.} To know what someone else is thinking. •/I have known John so long that I can read his mind./ — [mind reader] {n.} •/That’s exactly what I was going to say. You must be a mind reader!/ Compare: READ LIKE A BOOK.

[read the riot act]{v. phr.} To give someone a strong warning or scolding. •/Three boys were late to class and the teacher read the riot act to them./

[read over]{v. phr.} To read hurriedly in a rather superficial manner. •/The professor said he had no time to read my essay thoroughly but that he had read it over and would comment later in detail./

[read up on]{v. phr.} To study carefully in preparation for an examination or other special purpose. •/Since Mr. and Mrs. Lee are going to take their American citizenship exams soon, they must read up on the Constitution and the three branches of government./

[ready] See: AT THE READY, ROUGH-AND-READY.

[ready-made]{adj.} Mass-produced; machine made. •/I buy all my dresses ready-made because I can’t afford to have them made to order./

[ready money]{n. phr.} Cash on hand. •/Frank refuses to buy things on credit, but, if he had the ready money, he would buy that lovely old house./

[real] See: FOR REAL, IT’S BEEN REAL.

[rear] See: BRING UP THE REAR.

[rear end]{n.} 1. The back part (usually of a vehicle) •/The rear end of our car was smashed when we stopped suddenly and the car behind us hit us./ — Often used like an adjective, with a hyphen. •/A head-on crash is more likely to kill the passengers than a rear-end crash./ Contrast: HEAD-ON. 2. Rump; backside. •/Bobby’s mother was so annoyed with his teasing that she swatted his rear end./

[rear its head]{v. phr.} To appear; emerge. •/After decades of certainty that tuberculosis had been eradicated globally, it suddenly reared its ugly head right here in the United States./

[reason] See: IN REASON, LISTEN TO REASON, RHYME OR REASON, STAND TO REASON, WITHIN REASON.

[receive with open arms] See: WITH OPEN ARMS.

[reckon with]{v.} To consider as one of the things which may change a situation; consider (something) that will make a difference in the results. •/The coach said the opposing pitcher had a fast ball to be reckoned with./ Syn.: TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.

[reckon without]{v.} To fail to consider as one of the things which might change a situation; not think about. •/The committee for the class picnic party made careful plans for a beach party but they reckoned without a sudden change in the weather./

[record] See: MATTER OF RECORD, OFF THE RECORD, ON RECORD.

[red] See: IN THE RED, PAINT THE TOWN RED, SEE RED.

[redcap]{n.} A porter at an airport or at a railroad station. •/Mr. Smith works as a redcap at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport./

[red carpet] See: ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET.

[red cent]{n. phr.} The one-cent coin; a copper coin; very little money. •/Poor Oscar is so broke he doesn’t have a red cent to his name./

[red eye]{adj. phr.} Bloodshot eyes that are strained from too much reading. •/Poor Tim has a red eye; he must have been studying too late again./

[red eye]{n. phr.}, {informal} A night flight. •/The company refused to pay for him to take a more expensive daytime flight, so he had to come in on the red eye./

[red-handed]{adj.} In the very act; while committing a crime or evil action. •/The criminal was caught red-handed while holding up the neighborhood bank at gunpoint./

[red herring]{n. phr.} A false scent laid down in order to deceive; a phony or misleading story designed to cause confusion. •/That story about the president having an affair was a red herring created by the opposition in order to discredit him./

[red-letter day]{n. phr.} A holiday; memorable day (usually printed in red on calendars). •/The Fourth of July is a red-letter day./ •/It was a red-letter day for Felix, when he won the lottery./

[red-light district]{n. phr.} A district of brothels or where prostitutes hang out. •/Most unwisely, the young sailor decided to spend his leave on shore by haunting the red-light districts of the port of call./

[red tape]{n. phr.} Unnecessary bureaucratic routine; needless but official delays. •/If you want to get anything accomplished in a hurry, you have to find someone in power who can cut through all that red tape./

[reel off] See: RATTLE OFF.

[reference] See: IN REFERENCE TO or WITH REFERENCE TO.

[refine on] or [refine upon] {v.} 1. To make better; improve. •/Mary was asked to refine on her first outline to make it clearer and more exact./ 2. To be better than; surpass. •/Modern medical techniques refine on those of the past./

[regain one’s feet]{v. phr.} To get back up again after falling down. •/Tom fell while he skied down the hill but he regained his feet quickly./ Compare: TO ONE’S FEET.

[regard] See: IN REFERENCE TO or IN REGARD TO or WITH REGARD TO.

[regular guy] or [regular fellow] {n.}, {informal} A friendly person who is easy to get along with; a good sport. •/You’ll like Tom. He’s a regular guy./ Syn.: GOOD EGG.

[rein] See: FREE REIN, GIVE REIN TO or GIVE FREE REIN TO.

[relation] See: IN RELATION TO or WITH RELATION TO.

[relative to] 1. On the subject of; about. •/Relative to school athletics, the principal said the students should not allow athletics to interfere with homework./ 2. In comparison with; in proportion to. •/Relative to the size of an ant, a blade of grass is as tall as a tree./

[repeat oneself]{v. phr.} To say the same thing over again, often in the same words; repeat ideas because you forget what you said or because you want to stress their importance. •/Grandfather is forgetful and often repeats himself when he tells a story./ •/A teacher often has to repeat herself several times before her pupils remember what she tells them./

[resign oneself]{v. phr.} To stop arguing; accept something which cannot be changed. •/When Jane’s father explained that he could not afford to buy her a new bicycle, she finally resigned herself to riding the old one./ Compare: GIVE UP.

[resistance] See: LINE OF LEAST RESISTANCE.

[rest] See: LAY TO REST, PARADE REST.

[rest assured]{v. phr.} To be convinced; persuaded; certain and unworried. •/"Please rest assured," he said seriously, "that I will keep all of my promises."/

[rest home] See: CONVALESCENT HOME.

[rest on one’s laurels]{v. phr.} To be satisfied with the success you have already won; stop trying to win new honors. •/Getting an A in chemistry almost caused Mike to rest on his laurels./

[rest on one’s oars]{v. phr.} To stop trying; stop working for a while; rest. •/The man who wants to become a millionaire can never rest on his oars./ •/A high school student who wants to go to college cannot rest on his oars./

[rest room]{n.} A room or series of rooms in a public building which has things for personal comfort and grooming, such as toilets, washbowls, mirrors, and often chairs or couches. •/Sally went to the rest room to powder her nose./ Compare: POWDER ROOM.

[retreat] See: BEAT A RETREAT.

[return] See: IN RETURN.

[return the compliment]{v. phr.} To say or do the same to someone that he has said or done to you; pay someone back. •/Mary said, "I love your new hairdo" and Suzy returned the compliment with "What a pretty dress you’re wearing, Mary."/ •/John punched Jerry in the nose, and Jerry returned the compliment./

[reverse] See: DOUBLE REVERSE, IN REVERSE.

[rev up]{v. phr.}, {informal}, {slang} 1. To press down sharply several times on the accelerator of an idling car in order to get maximum acceleration. •/The race driver revved up his car by pumping his accelerator./ 2. To get oneself ready in order to accomplish a demanding or difficult task. •/The boys were getting all revved up for the football game./ See: PSYCHED UP.

[rhyme or reason]{n. phr.} A good plan or reason; a reasonable purpose or explanation. — Used in negative, interrogative, or conditional sentences. •/Don could see no rhyme or reason to the plot of the play./ •/It seemed to Ruth that her little brother had temper tantrums without rhyme or reason./

[rib] See: STICK TO ONE’S RIBS or STICK TO THE RIBS.

[rich] See: STRIKE IT RICH.

[ride] See: ALONG FOR THE RIDE, LET RIDE, RUN WITH HARE AND HUNT (RIDE) WITH THE HOUNDS, TAKE FOR A RIDE, THUMB A RIDE.

[ride herd on]{v. phr.} 1. To patrol on horseback around a herd of animals to see that none of them wanders away. •/Two cowboys rode herd on the cattle being driven to market./ 2. {informal} To watch closely and control; take care of. •/A special legislative assistant rides herd on the bills the president is anxious to have congress pass./ •/Mary rode herd on the small children walking home from school to keep them from running into the street./

[ride on one’s coattails]{v. phr.} To succeed in a certain endeavor by attaching oneself to the greater weight of another person or corporate body. •/"We will never get our Ph.D. program approved on our own," said the head of the modern dance department, "but we might succeed if we stay in the Division of Fine Arts, riding on their coattails, as it were."/

[ride out]{v.} To survive safely; endure. •/The captain ordered all sails lowered so the ship could ride out the storm./ •/Jack decided to ride out his troubles by saying that he had made a mistake but that he had learned his lesson./

[ride roughshod over]{v. phr.} To do as you wish without considering the wishes of (another person); treat with scorn or lack of courtesy; show no sympathy for. •/The city officials rode roughshod over the people who did not want their homes torn down for a new school./ •/The boss rode roughshod over the men when they asked for higher wages./

[ride the brake] or [ride the clutch] {v. phr.}, {informal} To keep your foot on the pedal. •/Riding the brake is a bad habit for a driver to form./

[ride the gravy train]{v. phr.} To live a life of plenty and luxury. •/Those who have a wealthy executive or heir to a fortune for a spouse can ride the gravy train without doing any work./

[ride up] or [crawl up] {v.} To slip gradually upward on the body. •/Shorts that ride up can be very uncomfortable./

[riding for a fall]{adj. phr.} Behaving in an overconfident way that is likely to lead to trouble; being too sure of yourself; doing something dangerous. •/The student who does not study for exams is riding for a fall./ •/Mr. Smith has borrowed too much money on his home. He is riding for a fall./ Compare: COME A CROPPER(2).

[riding high]{adj.} Attracting attention; enjoying great popularity. •/After scoring the winning touchdown, John is riding high with his classmates./

[rid of] Free of; away from; without the care or trouble. •/The puppy is finally rid of worms./ •/If I could be rid of the children for the day, I would go./ •/I wish you’d get rid of that cat!/ Compare: DO AWAY WITH, THROW AWAY(1), THROW OFF(1).

[right] See: ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT FOR YOU, DEAD TO RIGHTS, GIVE ONE’S RIGHT ARM, HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE, IN THE RIGHT, PLAY ONE’S CARDS RIGHT, PUT TO RIGHTS or SET TO RIGHTS, SERVE RIGHT, TO RIGHTS.

[right along]{adv. phr.}, {informal} 1a. On your way satisfactorily or without trouble. •/They fixed the engine and the train ran right along./ 1b. On your way without delay. •/Don’t wait for me. Go right along./ 2. See: ALL ALONG.

[right and left]{adv. phr.} In or from every direction; all around; on all sides. •/The knight rode into battle striking at the enemy right and left with his broadsword./ •/When the talk ended, questions were thrown at the speaker right and left./

[right away] or {informal} [right off] also {informal} [right off the bat] {adv. phr.} Immediately; as the next thing in order; without delay. •/Phil’s mother told him to do his homework right away so that he could enjoy the weekend./ •/The Red Cross aids disaster victims right away./ •/Jill knew the answer right off./ •/The teacher said he could not think of the title of the book right off the bat./ Syn.: AT ONCE(2). Compare: HERE AND NOW, ON THE SPOT. Contrast: AFTER A WHILE.

[right down] or [up one’s alley] {adv. phr.} In accordance with one’s specialty or predilection. •/This kind of preclassical music is right up Bill’s alley; after all, he wrote his Ph.D. on Bach./

[right field]{n.} The part of a baseball outfield to the batter’s right. •/Left-handed batters usually hit to right field./ Compare: CENTER FIELD, LEFT FIELD. — [right fielder] {n.} The outfielder in baseball who plays in right field. •/The batter hit a high fly ball and the right fielder caught it easily./

[right-hand man]{v. phr.} A valued and indispensable assistant. •/The chancellor of the university never goes anywhere without the vice chancellor, his right-hand man, whose judgment he greatly trusts./

[right on]{adj.}, {interj.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. Exclamation of animated approval "Yes," "That’s correct," "You’re telling the truth," "we believe you," etc. •/Orator: And we shall see the promised land! Crowd: Right on!/ 2. Correct; to the point; accurate. •/The reverend’s remark was right on!/

[right out] or [straight out] {adv.} Plainly; in a way that hides nothing; without waiting or keeping back anything. •/When Mother asked who broke the window, Jimmie told her right out that he did it./ •/When Ann entered the beauty contest her little brother told her straight out that she was crazy./

[right side of the tracks] See: THE TRACKS.

[right-wing]{adj.} Being or belonging to a political group which opposes any important change in the way the country is run. •/Some countries with right-wing governments have dictators./ Contrast: LEFT-WING.

[rig out]{v. phr.} To overdecorate; doll up; dress up. •/Ann arrived all rigged out in her newest Parisian summer outfit./

[Riley] See: LIFE OF RILEY.

[ring] See: GIVE A RING, RUN CIRCLES AROUND or RUN RINGS AROUND, THREE-RING CIRCUS, THROW ONE’S HAT IN THE RING.

[ring a bell]{v. phr.} To make you remember something; sound familiar. •/Not even the cat’s meowing seemed to ring a bell with Judy. She still forgot to feed him./ •/When Ann told Jim the name of the new teacher it rang a bell, and Jim said, "I went to school with a James Carson."/

[ring in]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To bring in (someone or something) from the outside dishonestly or without telling; often: hire and introduce under a false name. •/Bob offered to ring him in on the party by pretending he was a cousin from out of town./ •/No wonder their team beat us; they rang in a professional to pitch for them under the name of Dan Smith./ 2. To ring a special clock that records the time you work. •/We have to ring in at the shop before eight o’clock in the morning./

[ringleader]{n. phr.} The chief of an unsavory group; a higher-up. •/The FBI finally caught up with the ringleader of the dope smugglers from South America./

[ring out]{v.} To ring a special clock that records the time you leave work. •/Charles can’t leave early in his new job; he has to ring out./

[ring the changes]{v. phr.} To say or do the same thing in different ways; repeat the same idea in many ways. •/David wanted a new bicycle and he kept ringing the changes on it all day until his parents got angry at him./ •/A smart girl saves money on clothes by learning to ring the changes on a few dresses and clothes./

[ring true]{v. phr.} To have a tone of genuineness; sound convincing. •/I believed his sob story about how he lost his fortune, because somehow it all rang true./

[ring up]{v.} 1. To add and record on a cash register. •/The supermarket clerk rang up Mrs. Smith’s purchases and told her she owed $33./ •/Business was bad Tuesday; we didn’t ring up a sale all morning./ 2. {informal} To telephone. •/Sally rang up Sue and told her the news./

[riot] See: READ THE RIOT ACT, RUN RIOT.

[ripe] See: TIME IS RIPE.

[rip into] or [tear into] {v.}, {informal} 1. To start a fight with; attack. •/The puppy is tearing into the big dog./ Syn.: PITCH INTO. 2. To quarrel with; scold. •/Mrs. Brown ripped into her daughter for coming home late./ Syn.: BAWL OUT, LACE INTO, LAY OUT, LET HAVE IT.

[rip off]{v.}, {slang} (Stress on "off") Steal. •/The hippies ripped off the grocery store./

[rip-off]{n.}, {slang} (Stress on "rip") An act of stealing or burglary. •/Those food prices are so high, it’s almost a rip-off./

[rise] See: GET A RISE OUT OF, GIVE RISE TO.

[rise from the ashes]{v. phr.} To rise from ruin; start anew. •/A year after flunking out of medical school, Don rose from the ashes and passed his qualifying exams for the M.D. with honors./

[rise in the world] See: COME UP IN THE WORLD.

[rise to]{v.} To succeed in doing what is expected by trying especially hard in or on; show that you are able to do or say what is needed or proper in or on. •/Jane was surprised when the principal handed her the prize, but she rose to the occasion with a speech of thanks./ •/When Michael became sick on the day before the program, Paul rose to the need and learned Michael’s part./

[rise up]{v. phr.} To stage a rebellion; revolt. •/The people finally rose up and communism came to an end in Eastern Europe./

[risk] See: CALCULATED RISK, RUN A RISK.

[road] See: ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME, BURN UP THE ROAD, END OF THE ROAD, GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD, HIT THE ROAD, HUG THE ROAD, MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, ON THE ROAD.

[road gang]{n.} A group of men who work at road construction. •/Football players often work with road gangs during summer vacations./

[road hog]{n.}, {informal} A car driver who takes more than his share of the road. •/A road hog forced John’s car into the ditch./

[road show]{n.} A theatrical play that is performed for a few days in one town and then moves to other towns. •/Many actors get their start in road shows./ •/The road show is often not as good as the original play on Broadway./

[road sign]{n.} A sign on which there is information about a road or places; a sign with directions to drivers. •/The road sign read, "25 MPH LIMIT" but Jack drove along at fifty miles an hour./ •/The road sign said Westwood was four miles away./

[road test]{n.} 1. A test to see if you can drive a car. •/Jim took the road test and got his driver’s license last week./ 2. A test to see if a car works all right on the road. •/Most new cars are given road tests before they are put on the market./ •/After he repaired the car, the mechanic gave it a road test./

[roast] See: WEINER ROAST or HOT DOG ROAST.

[roasting ear]{n.} An ear of corn young and tender enough to be cooked and eaten; also corn cooked on the cob. •/The scouts buried the roasting ears in the coals of their campfire./ •/At the Fourth of July picnic we had fried chicken and roasting ears./

[robbery] See: HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

[robin] See: ROUND ROBIN.

[rob Peter to pay Paul]{v. phr.} To change one duty or need for another; take from one person or thing to pay another. •/Bill owed Sam a dollar, so he borrowed another from Joe to pay Sam back. He robbed Peter to pay Paul./ •/Trying to study a lesson for one class during another class is like robbing Peter to pay Paul./

[rob the cradle]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have dates with or marry a person much younger than yourself. •/When the old woman married a young man, everyone said she was robbing the cradle./ — [cradle-robber] {n.} •/The judge died when he was seventy. He was a real cradle-robber because he left a thirty-year-old widow./ — [cradle-robbing] {adj.} or {n.} •/Bob is seventeen and I just saw him with a girl about twelve years old. Has he started cradle-robbing? No, that girl was his sister, not his date!/

[rob the till] or [have one’s hand in the till] {v. phr.}, {informal} To steal money in your trust or for which you are responsible. •/The supermarket manager suspected that one of the clerks was robbing the till./ •/Mr. Jones deposited one thousand dollars in their joint savings account and told his wife not to rob the till./ •/The store owner thought his business was failing until he discovered that the treasurer had his hand in the till./

[rock] See: HAVE ROCKS IN ONE’S HEAD, ON THE ROCKS.

[rock and roll] See: ROCK N ROLL.

[rock-bottom]{n.} The lowest possible point. •/The nation’s morale hit rock bottom in the hours following the president’s assassination./ — Often used like an adjective, with a hyphen. •/The rock-bottom price of this radio is $25./

[rocker] See: OFF ONE’S ROCKER.

[rock hound]{n.}, {slang} A person who studies and collects rocks for a hobby. •/Many young rock hounds grow up to be geologists./ •/Tony is an eager rock hound, and we have rocks all through our house./

[rock’n'roll] or [rock and roll] {n.} A style of popular music with heavily accented rhythm. •/Rock’n'roll appeals mostly to youngsters nine to sixteen years old./ •/Rock and roll became popular for dances about 1954./

[rock the boat]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make trouble and risk losing or upsetting something; cause a disturbance that may spoil a plan. •/The other boys said that Henry was rocking the boat by wanting to let girls into their club./ •/Politicians don’t like to rock the boat around election time./ Compare: UPSET THE APPLE CART. Contrast: LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE.

[rod] See: HOT ROD.

[roll] See: GET THE BALL ROLLING, KEEP THE BALL ROLLING, ROCK N ROLL OT ROCK AND ROLL.

[roll around]{v.}, {informal} To return at a regular or usual time; come back. •/When winter rolls around, out come the skis and skates./

[rolling stone gathers no moss] A person who changes jobs or where he lives often will not be able to save money or things of his own. — A proverb. •/Uncle Willie was a rolling stone that gathered no moss. He worked in different jobs all over the country./

[roll out the red carpet]{v. phr.} 1. To welcome an important guest by putting a red carpet down for him to walk on. •/They rolled out the red carpet for the Queen when she arrived in Australia./ 2. To greet a person with great respect and honor; give a hearty welcome. •/Margaret’s family rolled out the red carpet for her teacher when she came to dinner./ Compare: WELCOME MAT. — [red-carpet] {adj.} •/When the president visited the foreign country, he was given the red-carpet treatment and welcomed by a great crowd./ •/We gave Uncle Willie the red-carpet treatment when he returned from Hong Kong./

[roll up one’s sleeves] To get ready for a hard job; prepare to work hard or seriously. •/When Paul took his science examination, he saw how little he knew about science. He rolled up his sleeves and went to work./

[Roman collar]{n.} The high, plain, white collar worn by priests and clergymen. •/The man with the Roman collar is the new Episcopalian preacher./ •/Many Protestant churches do not require their ministers to wear Roman collars./

[Rome] See: ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME.

[Rome wasn’t built in a day] Great things are not accomplished overnight; great deeds take a long time. — A proverb. •/A takes a long time to write a successful novel, but don’t worry; Rome wasn’t built in a day, as the saying goes./

[roof] See: HIT THE CEILING or HIT THE ROOF, RAISE THE ROOF.

[rooftop] See: SHOUT PROM THE HOUSE- TOPS or SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS.

[room] See: CONTROL ROOM, POWDER ROOM, UTILITY ROOM.

[room and board]{n. phr.} A room for rent with meals included. •/A room alone in that country costs only $10 a day, but room and board together run $22 a day./

[room clerk] or [desk clerk] {n.} A person who is responsible for assigning rooms and providing service to guests in hotels, motels, inns, etc. •/At first-class hotels, room clerks are trained to be at the service of every guest./ •/Sometimes resort hotels in the mountains hire college students as room clerks during the summer./

[room to] See: LIVE IN.

[room service]{n.} Service provided to hotel guests in their rooms. Also: The hotel workers who give this service. •/We called for room service when we wanted ice./ •/Room service will install a TV set in your room upon demand./

[room with]{v. phr.} 1. To live in a furnished room with someone as a roommate without having an affair. •/I roomed with him in college for four years./ 2. To live together as husband and wife without the benefit of marriage. •/Dan and Sue have been rooming together for quite a while and people are wondering if they will ever get married./

[roost] See: CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST, RULE THE ROOST.

[root] See: TAKE ROOT.

[root-bound]{adj.} 1. Having a limited amount of space for root growth. •/After seven or eight years day lilies become root-bound and will not bloom well unless they are divided./ 2. Liking the familiar place where you live and not wanting to go away from it; having a sentimental attachment to one place. •/Mr. Jones has lived in Connecticut all his life. He is too root-bound to consider moving to another state./

[root for]{v. phr.} To cheer for; applaud; support. •/During the Olympics one usually roots for the team of one’s own country./

[rope] See: END OF ONE’S ROPE, GIVE ONE ENOUGH ROPE AND HE WILL HANG HIMSELF, ON THE ROPES, THE ROPES.

[rope in]{v.}, {informal} 1. To use a trick to make (someone) do something; deceive; fool. •/The company ropes in high school students to sell magazine subscriptions by telling them big stories of how much money they can earn./ Syn.: TAKE UP(5a). 2. To get (someone to join or help); persuade to do something. •/Martha roped in Charles to help her decorate the gym for the party./ •/I didn’t want the job of selling tickets for the dance, but I was roped in because everyone else was too busy to do it./

[rope Into]{v.}, {informal} 1. To trick into; persuade dishonestly. •/Jerry let the big boys rope him into stealing some apples./ 2. To get (someone) to join in; persuade to work at. •/It was Sue’s job to bathe the dog but she roped Sam into helping her./ •/Mother did not go to the first meeting of the club because she was afraid she would be roped into something./ Compare: TALK INTO.

[rope off]{v. phr.} To divide into sections by use of a rope. •/The police roped off the section of the street where the president was expected to jog./

[rose] See: BED OF ROSES, LOOK AT THE WORLD THROUGH ROSE-COLORED GLASSES.

[rose-colored glasses] See: LOOK AT THE WORLD THROUGH ROSE-COLORED GLASSES.

[rotten egg]{n.}, {informal} A person whose character or way of acting is not good. •/His friends have all learned he is a rotten egg./ Often used by children in fun, as of someone who is slow in doing something. •/The boys ran to the river to go swimming and Dick cried, "Last one in is a rotten egg!"/

[rotten to the core]{adj. phr.} 1. Thoroughly decayed or spoiled. •/This apple is inedible; it is brown and soft and rotten to the core./ 2. In total moral collapse. •/The Communist government of Cuba is rotten to the core./

[rough] See: DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.

[rough-and-ready]{adj.} 1. Not finished in detail; not perfected; rough but ready for use now. •/We asked Mr. Brown how long it would take to drive to Chicago and his rough-and-ready answer was two days./ 2. Not having nice manners but full of energy and ability. •/Jim is a rough-and-ready character; he’d rather fight than talk things over./

[rough-and-tumble] 1. {n.} Very rough, hard fighting or arguing that does not follow any rules. •/There was a rough-and-tumble on the street last night between some soldiers and sailors./ •/Many people don’t like the rough-and-tumble of politics./ 2. {adj.} Fighting or arguing in a very rough and reckless way; struggling hard; not following rules or laws. •/It took strong men to stay alive in the rough-and-tumble life of the western frontier./

[rough diamond] See: DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.

[roughhouse]{n.} Riotous play or commotion. •/? told the boys they can play in the attic if there is no roughhouse./

[roughhouse]{v.} To play very wildly; be running around as young boys usually do. •/"Stop roughhousing this minute," Grandma cried. "Your father will be home soon."/

[rough it]{v. phr.} To live like primitive people; live with little of the comfort and equipment of civilization. •/Scouts like to rough it in the woods on weekend hikes./

[roughneck]{n.} A low, coarse fellow. •/The only boys in the neighborhood are a bunch of roughnecks, and Mrs. Smith is unhappy about the fact that her son is rapidly becoming one of them./

[rough-shod] See: RIDE ROUGH-SHOD OVER.

[rough sledding] See: HARD SLEDDING.

[rough up]{v.} To attack or hurt physically; treat roughly; beat. •/Three boys were sent home for a week because they roughed up a player on the visiting team./ •/While Pete was walking in a strange part of town some boys roughed him up and told him to stay out of their territory./

[roughly speaking]{adv. phr.} Approximately; in general terms. •/Roughly speaking, about 250 people attended the annual convention of the Dictionary Society of America./

[roulette] See: RUSSIAN ROULETTE.

[round] See: BRING AROUND or BRING ROUND, COME ROUND, GO THE ROUNDS, MAKE ROUNDS, SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE, YEAR-ROUND.

[round-eyed] or [wide-eyed] also [large-eyed] {adj.} Very much surprised; astonished; awed. •/The people were round-eyed when they learned what the computer could do./ •/The children were wide-eyed at the sight of the Christmas tree and didn’t make a sound./

[round off]{v.} 1. To make round or curved. •/John decided to round off the corners of the table he was making so that no one would be hurt by bumping them./ 2. To change to the nearest whole number. •/The teacher said to round off the averages./ 3. To end in a satisfactory way; put a finishing touch on; finish nicely. •/We rounded off the dinner with mixed nuts./ •/A boat ride in the moonlight rounded off the day at the lake./ Compare: TOP OFF.

[round out]{v. phr.} To complete; make whole. •/He needs only one or two more rare compact discs to round out his collection of Vivaldi./

[round robin]{n. phr.} 1. Something written, especially a request or protest that is signed by a group of people. — Often used like an adjective. •/The people in our neighborhood are sending a round robin to the Air Force to protest the noise the jet planes make flying over our houses./ 2. A letter written by a group of people each writing one or two paragraphs and then sending the letter to another person, who adds a paragraph, and so on. •/The class sent a round-robin letter to Bill in the hospital./ 3. A meeting in which each one in a group of people takes part; a talk between various members of a group. — Often used like an adjective. •/There is a round-robin meeting of expert fishermen on the radio, giving advice on how to catch fish./ 4. A contest or games in which each player or team plays every other player or team in turn. — Often used like an adjective. •/The tournament will be a round robin for all the high school teams in the city./

[rounds] See: GO THE ROUNDS.

[round the clock] See: AROUND THE CLOCK.

[round trip]{n.} A return trip; passage to a place and back. •/The ticket agent explained that a ticket for a round trip to Hawaii at certain times of the year may cost less than a one-way ticket during the high season./

[roundup]{n.} A muster; an inspection; a gathering together. •/The farmer and his son decided to hold a major roundup of all their cattle to see that none had been stolen by the bandits./ •/The police roundup of all suspected drug dealers took place early in the morning./

[round up]{v.} 1. To bring together (cattle or horses). •/Cowboys round up their cattle in the springtime to brand the new calves./ 2. {informal} To collect; gather. •/Dave rounded up many names for his petition./

[row] See: HARD ROW TO HOE or TOUGH ROW TO HOE, HOE ONE’S OWN ROW, SKID ROW.

[royal road]{n. phr.} A quick means of accomplishment; an easy path. •/There is no royal road to learning in order to obtain a university degree./

[rubdown]{n.} A massage. •/The chiropractor gave his patient a powerful rubdown./

[rub-a-dub]{n.} The sound made by beating a drum. •/We heard a great rub-a-dub as the parade marched into view./

[rubber check]{n.}, {informal} A check written without enough money in the bank to make it good. •/Bill got into trouble when he paid his bills with rubber checks./ •/By the time we knew he had paid us with a rubber check, the man had left the state./ •/The rubber check bounced./

[rub down]{v. phr.} 1. To dry the body of (an animal or person) by rubbing. •/Stablemen rub down a horse after a race./ 2. To rub and press with the fingers on the body of (a person) to loosen muscles or prevent stiffness; massage. •/Trainers rub down an athlete after hard exercise./

[rub elbows] also [rub shoulders] {v. phr.} To be in the same place (with others); meet and mix. •/City people and country people, old and young, rub elbows at the horse show./ •/On a visit to the United Nations Building in New York, you may rub elbows with people from faraway lands./

[rub it in]{v. phr.}, {slang} To remind a person again and again of an error or short-coming; tease; nag. •/Jerry was already unhappy because he fumbled the ball, but his teammates kept rubbing it in./ •/I know my black eye looks funny. You don’t need to rub it in./

[rub off]{v.} 1. To remove or be removed by rubbing; erase. •/The teacher rubs the problem off the chalkboard./ •/After Ann shook hands with the president, she would not shake hands with anyone else because she thought that the good luck would rub off./ 2. To stick to something touched; come off. •/Don’t touch that charcoal, it will rub off./ •/Mary’s dress touched the door that Father was painting, and some paint rubbed off on her dress./ 3. To pass to someone near as if by touching. •/Jimmy is very lucky; I wish some of his luck would rub off on me./

[rub out]{v.}, {slang} To destroy completely; kill; eliminate. •/The gangsters rubbed out four policemen before they were caught./ •/The gangsters told the storekeeper that if he did not pay them to protect him, someone would rub him out./ Compare: WIPE OUT, RID OF.

[rub salt into one’s wounds]{v. phr.}, {informal} To deliberately add pain when one feels shame, regret, or defeat. •/Must you rub salt into my wounds by telling me how much fun I missed by not going to the party?/

[rub shoulders] See: RUB ELBOWS.

[rub the wrong way]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make (someone) a little angry; do something not liked by (someone); annoy; bother. •/John’s bragging rubbed the other boys the wrong way./ •/Mother’s friend called Harold a little boy, and that rubbed Harold the wrong way./ Compare: AGAINST THE GRAIN(2).

[rub up against]{v. phr.} To come into contact with. •/In that business one naturally has to rub up against all kinds of people./

[rub up to]{v. phr.} To do nice things for one; flatter a person; gain attention or rewards. •/Mona has the ability to rub up to the right kinds of people, so it’s no wonder she is so popular at her work./

[ruffle feathers] or [ruffle one’s feathers] {v. phr.} Insult or disturb slightly; offend. •/The author ruffled some feathers by his portrait of his hometown./

[rug] See: PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER, SWEEP UNDER THE RUG.

[rule] See: EXCEPTION PROVES THE RULE, GROUND RULE.

[rule of thumb]{n. phr.} A simple and practical method that has proven successful or useful in the past. •/It is a very good rule of thumb to look up all unfamiliar words in a good dictionary./

[rule out]{v.} 1. To say that (something) must not be done; not allow; also: decide against. •/The principal ruled out dances on school nights./ •/The play was ruled out by the referee./ •/Jean probably will not go to college, but she has not ruled that out./ 2. To show that (someone or something) is not a possibility; make it unnecessary to think about; remove (a chance). •/We have to find a baby-sitter for tonight; Betsy has a date, so that rules her out./ •/The doctor took X rays to rule out the chance of broken bones./ 3. To make impossible; prevent. •/Father’s death seems to rule out college for Jean./ •/Betsy’s date for the dance ruled out any baby-sitting that evening./

[rule the roost]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be leader or boss; be in charge. •/Jim is very bossy; he always wants to rule the roost./ •/Who rules the roost in the Smith’s house?/ Compare: WEAR THE TROUSERS.

[run] See: BLOOD RUNS COLD, END RUN, CUT AND RUN, FIRST-RUN, HOME RUN, IN THE LONG RUN, IN THE RUNNING, ON THE RUN, OUT OF THE RUNNING, SECOND-RUN.

[run across] See: COME ACROSS(1).

[run after] or [chase after] {v.} 1. To try to find; look for; hunt. •/The Dramatic Club has to run all over town after things for setting the stage when it puts on a play./ 2. {informal} To seek the company of; chase. •/Some boys spend a lot of time and money running after girls./

[run along]{v.} To go away; leave. •/Joan said she had errands to do and must run along./

[run a risk] or [take a risk] {v. phr.} To be open to danger or loss; put yourself in danger; be unprotected. •/A baseball umpire wears a mask and chest protector so he won’t run the risk of being hit by the ball./ •/Billy takes a risk of being hit by a car when he runs into the street without looking./ •/I was afraid to run the risk of betting on the game./ Compare: TAKE A CHANCE.

[run around in circles]{v. phr.} To waste time in repetitious movements; be confused. •/There was such a crowd in the lobby that I ran around in circles trying to find my group./

[run around] or [chase around] {v.}, {informal} To go to different places for company and pleasure; be friends. •/Tim hasn’t been to a dance all year; with school work and his job, he hasn’t time to run around./ •/Chuck and Jim chase around a lot together./ — Often used with "with". •/Ruth runs around with girls who like to go dancing./ Compare: GO AROUND, HANG AROUND.

[run around like a chicken with its head cut off] See: RUN AROUND IN CIRCLES.

[run a temperature]{v. phr.} To have a body temperature that is above normal; have a fever. •/Jimmy didn’t look ill, although he was running a temperature./ •/We took the baby to the doctor because he was running a temperature./

[run a tight ship]{v. phr.} To run an organization with a firm hand, with strict rules and regulations. •/Our dean of the college runs a very tight ship; he tolerates no mistakes./

[run away] or [run off] {v.} To leave and not plan to come back; go without permission; escape. •/Many times Tommy said he would run away from home, but he never did./ •/The guards in jail make sure that none of the prisoners run away./ Compare: GET AWAY.

[run away with]{v.} 1a. To take quickly and secretly, especially without permission; steal. •/A thief ran away with Grandma’s silver teapot./ Syn.: MAKE OFF. 1b. To go away with; elope. •/Mary said that if her parents wouldn’t let her marry Phil, she would run away with him./ 1c. To take hold of; seize. •/The boys thought they saw a ghost in the old house last night; they let their imagination run away with them./ Compare: GET THE BETTER OF. 2. To be much better or more noticeable than others in; win easily. •/Our team ran away with the game in the last half./ •/The fat comedian ran away with the TV show./ Compare: STEAL THE SHOW.

[run circles around] also [run rings around] {v. phr.} To show that you can do a task much better than; do better than (someone) very easily. •/In spelling, Ruth could run circles around Barbara any day./ •/Frank ran rings around the other boys on the basketball team./

[run down]{v.} (stress on "down") 1. To crash against and knock down or sink. •/Jack rode his bicycle too fast and almost ran down his little brother./ •/It was so foggy that the steamship almost ran down a small boat leaving port./ Compare: RUN INTO(3a). 2a. To chase until exhausted or caught. •/The dogs ran down the wounded deer./ 2b. To find by hard and thorough search; also: trace to its cause or beginning. •/The policeman ran down proof that the burglar had robbed the store./ Compare: HUNT DOWN. 2c. To catch (a base runner) between bases and tag out in baseball. •/The pitcher saw that the base runner was not on base, so he surprised him by throwing the ball to the first baseman, who ran him down before he reached second base./ 3. {informal} To say bad things about; criticize. •/Suzy ran down the club because the girls wouldn’t let her join./ Compare: FIND FAULT. 4. To stop working; not run or go. •/The battery in Father’s car ran down this morning./ •/The kitchen clock ran down because we forgot to wind it./ 5. To get into poor condition; look bad. •/A neighborhood runs down when the people don’t take care of their houses./

[run-down]{adj.} (stress on "run") In poor health or condition; weak or needing much work. •/Grandma caught a cold because she was very run-down from loss of sleep./ •/The houses near the center of the city get more run-down every year./

[run dry]{v. phr.} To dry up; lose the water content. •/After many years of use, our well ran dry./

[run errands]{v. phr.} To carry messages or perform similar minor tasks. •/Peter runs errands for our entire neighborhood to make some extra money./

[run for it] or [make a run for it] {v. phr.} To dash for safety; make a speedy escape. •/The bridge the soldiers were on started to fall down and they had to run for it./ •/The policeman shouted for the robber to stop, but the robber made a run for if./

[run for one’s money]{n. phr.} 1. A good fight; a hard struggle. — Usually used with "give" or "get". •/Our team didn’t win the game, but they gave the other team a run for their money./ 2. Satisfaction; interest; excitement. — Usually used with "give" or "get". •/People like to watch the champion fight because they get a good run for their money from him./ •/A good student gives a teacher more than a run for his money./

[run in]{v. phr.} 1. {informal} To take to jail; arrest. •/The policeman ran the man in for peddling without a license./ 2. To make a brief visit. •/The neighbor boy ran in for a minute to see Bob’s newest model rocket./ Syn.: DROP IN. Compare: STOP OFF.

[run-in]{n.} 1. A traffic accident. •/My car was wrecked when I had a run-in with a small truck./ 2. A violent quarrel. •/John had a nasty run-in with his boss and was fired./

[run in the blood] or [run in the family] {v. phr.} To be a common family characteristic; be learned or inherited from your family. •/A great interest in gardening runs in his family./ •/Red hair runs in the family./

[run into]{v.} 1. To mix with; join with. •/If the paint brush is too wet, the red paint will run into the white on the house./ •/This small brook runs into a big river in the valley below./ 2. To add up to; reach; total. •/Car repairs can run into a lot of money./ •/The number of people killed on the highways during holidays runs into hundreds./ •/A good dictionary may run into several editions./ 3a. Bump; crash into; hit. •/Joe lost control of his bike and ran into a tree./ Compare: RUN DOWN. 3b. To meet by chance. •/I ran into Joe yesterday on Main Street./ Compare: BUMP INTO, CHANCE ON, COME ACROSS(2). 3e. Be affected by; get into. •/I ran into trouble on the last problem on the test./ •/When I ran into a problem while making my model airplane, I asked Uncle Mark for help./

[run into a brick wall] or [run into a stone wall] See: STONE WALL.

[run into the ground]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To do or use (something) more than is wanted or needed. •/It’s all right to borrow my hammer once in a while, but don’t run it into the ground./ 2. To win over or defeat (someone) completely. •/We lost the game today, but tomorrow we’ll run them into the ground./

[run its course]{v. phr.} To fulfill a normal development; terminate a normal period. •/Your flu will run its course; in a few days you’ll be back on your feet./

[run off]{v. phr.} 1. To produce with a printing press or duplicating machine. •/The print shop ran off a thousand copies of the newspaper./ 2. To drive away. •/The boys saw a dog digging in mother’s flower bed, and they ran him off./ •/When the salesman tried to cheat the farmer, the farmer ran him off the farm with a shotgun./ 3. See: RUN AWAY.

[run-off]{n.} A second election held to determine the winner when the results of the first one were inconclusive. •/The senatorial race was so close that the candidates will have to hold a run-off./

[run off at the mouth]{v. phr.} To talk too much; be unable to stop talking. •/"Shut up, John," our father cried. "You are always running off at the mouth."/

[run of luck]{n. phr.} A period of good luck. •/I had a run of luck last Saturday when I went fishing and caught seven big trout within one hour./

[run-of-the-mill] or [run-of-the-mine] {adj.} Of a common kind; ordinary; usual. •/Frank is a very good bowler, but Joe is just run-of-the-mill./ •/It was just a run-of-the-mine movie./

[runner-up]{n.} The person who finishes second in a race or contest; the one next after the winner. •/Tom won the race and Jack was runner-up./ •/Joan was runner-up in the contest for class secretary./ Compare: SECOND-BEST.

[running start]{n. phr.} Good progress at the beginning. •/The team was off to a running start, having won the first two games./ •/Contributions of $5000 before the drive began gave the charity fund a running start./ Compare: HEAD START.

[run out]{v.} 1a. To come to an end; be used up. •/Jerry almost got across the brook on the slippery stones but his luck ran out and he slipped and fell./ •/We’d better do our Christmas shopping; time is running out./ Syn.: GIVE OUT(5). 1b. To use all of the supply; be troubled by not having enough. •/The car ran out of gas three miles from town./ •/Millie never runs out of ideas for clever party decorations./ Compare: RUN SHORT. 2. {informal} To force to leave; expel. •/Federal agents ran the spies out of the country./ Syn.: KICK OUT, RUN OFF.

[run out on]{v. phr.} To leave someone in the lurch; abandon another. •/When Ted ran out on Delores, she got so angry that she sued him for divorce./

[run over]{v.} 1. To be too full and flow over the edge; spill over. •/Billy forgot he had left the water on, and the tub ran over./ 2. To try or go over (something) quickly; practice briefly. •/During the lunch hour, Mary ran over her history facts so she would remember them for the test./ •/The coach ran over the signals for the trick play with the team just before game time./ 3. To drive on top of; ride over. •/At night cars often run over small animals that are blinded by the headlights./ Syn.: RUN DOWN.

[run ragged]{v. phr.} To tire out; make nervous by too much worry or work. •/Trying to keep up with too many clubs, sports, and activities in addition to his homework ran Tom ragged./ •/On a rainy day the children sometimes ran Mother ragged./ Compare: WEAR OUT.

[run rings around] See: RUN CIRCLES AROUND.

[run riot]{v. phr.} 1. To act freely or wildly; not control yourself. •/The monkey got out of his cage and ran riot in the pet shop./ •/John let his imagination run riot, thinking he was hunting lions in Africa./ 2. To be or grow in great numbers or large amounts. •/Daisies ran riot in the meadow./ Compare: RUN WILD.

[run scared]{v. phr.} To expect defeat, as in a political campaign. •/The one-vote defeat caused him to run scared in every race thereafter./

[run short]{v. phr.} 1. To not have enough. •/Bob asked Jack to lend him five dollars because he was running short./ •/We are running short of sugar./ Compare: RUN OUT. 2. To be not enough in quantity. •/We are out of potatoes and the flour is running short./

[run that by me again!]{v. phr.}, {informal command} Repeat what you just said, as I couldn’t understand you. •/"Run that by me again," he cried. "This telephone connection is very bad."/

[run the gauntlet] also [gantlet] {v. phr.} 1. To be made to run between two lines of people facing each other and be hit by them with clubs or other weapons. •/Joe had to run the gauntlet as part of his initiation into the club./ 2. To face a hard test; bear a painful experience. •/Ginny had to run the gauntlet of her mother’s questions about how the ink spot got on the dining room rug./

[run through]{v.} 1. To make a hole through, especially with a sword; pierce. •/The pirate was a good swordsman, but the hero finally ran him through./ 2. To spend recklessly; use up wastefully. •/The rich man’s son quickly ran through his money./ Syn.: GO THROUGH(4). 3. To read or practice from beginning to end without stopping. •/The visiting singer ran through his numbers with the orchestra just before the program./

[run to]{v. phr.} To approximate; reach. •/It has been estimated that the casualties will run to over 300,000 killed by cholera and starvation in the crowded refugee camps./

[run to seed] See: GO TO SEED.

[run true to form]{v. phr.} To follow a usual way; act as expected; agree with how a person usually acts. •/The little boy’s actions ran true to form. He bothered his mother until she gave him his way./ Compare: PAR FOR THE COURSE.

[run up]{v. phr.} 1. To add to the amount of; increase. •/Karl ran up a big bill at the bookstore./ 2. To put together or make hastily; sew quickly together. •/Jill ran up a costume for the party on her sewing machine./ 3. To pull (something) upward on a rope; put (something) up quickly. •/The pirates ran up the black flag./

[run up against] See: UP AGAINST.

[run wild]{v. phr.} To be or go out of control. •/The students ran wild during spring vacation./ •/The new supervisor lets the children run wild./ •/The violets are running wild in the flower bed./ Compare: RUN RIOT.

[run with the hare and hunt (ride) with the hounds]{v. phr.} To appear to support both parties in a conflict; to conduct things in ambiguous ways. •/Critics accused the king of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds./

[running commentary]{n. phr.} A continual series of remarks. •/My chiropractor gives me a running commentary on the health care debate while he is giving me a rubdown./

[rush] See: BUM’S RUSH.

[Russian roulette]{n.} A game of chance in which one bullet is placed in a revolver, the cartridge cylinder is spun, and the player aims the gun at his own head and pulls the trigger. •/Only a fool would risk playing Russian roulette./

[rust away]{v. phr.} To disappear gradually through the process of rust or corrosion. •/If you refuse to paint those metal bars on the window, they will soon rust away./

[rustproof]{adj.} Free from rusting or corrosion; permeated with anti-rust chemical agents. •/My new watch is rustproof and waterproof and I can wear it while swimming or taking a shower./