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The R drawer

30 phrases beginning with R.

Rack and ruin A state of severe decay, destruction or collapse, especially after prolonged neglect or waste. Most often appears in go to or fall into rack and ruin…
Rain on your parade To spoil or dampen your joy.
Raining buckets Pouring down heavily, a deluge.
Raining cats and dogs Raining extremely heavily.
Raining pitchforks A torrential downpour so fierce it's like pitchforks falling from the sky, stabbing the ground with relentless force-an absurdly violent rain.
Raise the roof To make a loud, wild ruckus or cheer, shaking the place with noise.
Rank and file The ordinary members of an organisation or group, as distinct from its leaders and senior officers. Can refer collectively to enlisted military…
Rattle your dags Hurry up or get moving. Very informal. The literal farming reference makes the phrase earthy but not normally obscene. Regional use: New Zealand; also…
Read the Riot Act Deliver a severe reprimand and warn that further misconduct will bring punishment. Usually figurative and often capitalized because of the historical…
Reap the whirlwind Suffer greatly amplified and often destructive consequences of one's own actions. More severe than reap what you sow: the whirlwind suggests…
Reap what you sow Experience consequences that correspond to one's earlier actions. Often negative, but the underlying agricultural analogy permits beneficial…
Ride herd on Closely supervise, control, or keep watch over a person, group, or complicated activity so that it stays in order. Informal. It can imply necessary…
Ride roughshod over Use power or force without regard for another person's rights, wishes, feelings or objections. It can also describe overriding rules, evidence or…
Ride shotgun To sit in the front passenger seat of a vehicle. It can also mean accompanying, assisting, supervising, or protecting someone or something.
Ride the wave To roll with success or trends, coasting high.
Root and branch Completely and fundamentally, leaving no part of a system, practice or problem untouched. Usually describes sweeping reform, investigation or…
Root, hog, or die Fend for yourself and work for what you need, or face failure. Obscure, severe, and strongly historical Regional use: United States, especially rural…
Round the bend Irrational, extremely eccentric, or overwhelmed to the point of losing one's composure. Informal. Drive someone round the bend often describes…
Ruffle some feathers To upset or annoy people, stirring trouble like ruffling a bird's plumage-disrupting calm with a flap of dissent.
Rule of thumb A practical but approximate guideline based on experience rather than an exact calculation or universal rule.
Run a mile To flee fast or dodge hard.
Run a tight ship To manage strictly or well, all in line.
Run around like a headless chicken To rush in frantic chaos, aimless and wild.
Run like the wind To dash real fast, all speed.
Run of the mill Ordinary and unremarkable, just standard fare.
Run off your feet Rushed or swamped, no stop.
Run out of steam Lose pep or drive, all spent.
Run ragged Worn out or beat, all frayed.
Run rings around To outdo or outpace easily, circling.
Run the gauntlet Pass through a threatening series of attacks, criticism, questions or other ordeals. Gantlet remains an accepted American spelling. Do not derive this…