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The R drawer

38 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…
Read the room To gauge the mood, attitudes and unspoken feelings of the people you are addressing and adjust your behaviour accordingly. It is frequently used in…
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…
Receipts Slang for documentary evidence, such as screenshots, saved messages, or video, that proves what someone said or did; it is usually produced to expose…
Red flag A warning sign that a person, offer, or situation may turn out to be trouble, as when a behaviour signals that a potential partner or deal is best…
Red herring A piece of information or argument introduced to mislead people and draw attention away from the real issue. Common in discussion of mysteries…
Red tape Excessive bureaucratic procedure and paperwork that delays action, especially adherence to official rules even when they serve no purpose. Usually…
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.
Rizz Slang for style, charm or skill in attracting a romantic or sexual partner; the capacity to flirt convincingly. Used especially by younger speakers…
Rolling in the aisles Laughing so hard you almost fall out of your seat. Usually found in the construction to have an audience rolling in the aisles, meaning to be…
Rome wasn't built in a day An important or complex piece of work takes a long time and cannot be rushed. It is said to encourage patience, usually to someone frustrated by slow…
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…