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The R drawer

63 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…
Rack your brains To think very hard, straining to recall a fact, a name, or a solution. Typically found in continuous forms, as in 'I have been racking my brains all…
Rags to riches A rise from deep poverty to great wealth, whether as a real biography or as a stock narrative arc. Usually admiring of effort and luck, but often…
Rain on someone's parade To spoil someone's plans, excitement, or moment of celebration, usually by delivering unwelcome news or a discouraging opinion. Almost always framed…
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 Cain To make a furious commotion - riotous trouble-making, violent protest, or a wild row. It belongs to the family of raising the Devil, raise hell, and…
Raise the bar To raise the standard of quality or the level of expectation that people or products are held to; to set a new, higher benchmark that others must now…
Raise the roof To make a loud, wild ruckus or cheer, shaking the place with noise.
Raison d'être The core purpose or justification for someone's or something's existence; the reason a person, group, or institution is felt to matter. It is a…
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…
Rara avis A rare or exceptional person or thing; a curiosity or rarity. It is a literary, faintly learned phrase, often italicized as a foreignism, and is…
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…
Reach for the stars To set oneself extremely ambitious goals and strive for achievements beyond one's assured grasp. Now a stock piece of encouragement, addressed…
Read between the lines To find a meaning that is implied but not stated outright - inferring what a writer or speaker really thinks from hints, tone, omissions and context…
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…
Realpolitik A style of politics based on practical power, circumstances, and material interests rather than on ideology, ideals, or moral principles. Usually…
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 mist A fit of rage that clouds judgement and self-control: someone 'lets the red mist descend' or does something 'in a red mist' when anger takes over and…
Red tape Excessive bureaucratic procedure and paperwork that delays action, especially adherence to official rules even when they serve no purpose. Usually…
Reinvent the wheel To waste time and effort creating something that already exists or solving a problem that has already been solved. Standard advice against it, 'don't…
Rest on one's laurels To be satisfied with what you have already achieved and stop putting in further effort. It is nearly always used as a warning or criticism, most often…
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 coattails To win office, gain standing, or enjoy success through association with a more popular figure rather than on your own merits - as when lesser…
Ride the wave To roll with success or trends, coasting high.
Right as rain Perfectly well, sound or in good working order; most often said of someone's health, especially after illness, injury or repair. Strongest in British…
Ring the changes To vary something repeatedly, running through the available alternatives: altering a routine, menu, presentation, or choice of words to keep it fresh…
Rizz Slang for style, charm or skill in attracting a romantic or sexual partner; the capacity to flirt convincingly. Used especially by younger speakers…
Road to Damascus A sudden, complete change of conviction or purpose - a moment on the way somewhere ordinary when a person is converted to an entirely new view of the…
Rob Peter to pay Paul To take money or resources from one person, account or purpose in order to satisfy a debt or need somewhere else, so that the overall position does…
Robot A machine, especially one programmable by computer, that carries out actions autonomously or semi-autonomously and often replaces a human worker; by…
Roll out the red carpet To welcome or honour someone with elaborate ceremony, fuss, and the greatest hospitality, as for a visiting head of state or a celebrity; to treat a…
Roll with the punches To absorb setbacks and adapt to circumstances as they happen rather than resisting them: Merriam-Webster gives both senses, 'to move so as to lessen…
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…
Rose-tinted spectacles An unrealistically cheerful, flattering view of a person, situation or the past, one that filters out defects; nearly always used in constructions…
Rough and ready Describes a person, thing, or method that is crude, unpolished, or improvised, yet practical, vigorous, and effective enough for the purpose. It…
Round the bend Irrational, extremely eccentric, or overwhelmed to the point of losing one's composure. Informal. Drive someone round the bend often describes…
Rub shoulders with To meet, mix or spend time with people, especially those who are famous, powerful or from a very different walk of life. Suggests casual, close-range…
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.
Rule the roost To have complete control over a household, group, or organization; to be the dominant person whose decisions prevail. It is informal, usually said of…
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…