| Idiom |
Where Used |
Meaning |
|---|
| rain on someone's parade |
USA |
Do something to make another person's ideas or actions less worthy of merit. |
| rain (pour) cats and dogs |
Global |
Raining heavily |
| rake over the ashes |
Global |
To restart an argument that was thought to be completed; closely examine the history of a failed endeavor or relationship. |
| rake someone over the coals |
Global |
To harshly scold, reprimand or interrogate someone about something they did. For example, a boss might 'rake an employee over the coals' for poor performance, or the police might do the same to a suspect. (AHDI[1]) |
| raise one's voice |
Global |
Talking loudly as to be heard clearer or when angry |
| having a ramrod up one's spine |
USA |
Being stubborn or strong willed. A ramrod is a stiff pole which does not bend easily |
| read between the lines |
Global |
Inferring additional information or nuances not explicitly stated, perhaps revealing a hidden agenda or true motive. The lines here refers to lines of printed text |
| read my lips |
Global |
Used to emphasize the statement or promise which immediately follows, often with slight aggression or belligerence. Example: George H.W. Bush's famous 1988 promise "Read my lips: No new taxes", meaning he absolutely would not raise taxes |
| (To) rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic |
Global |
Attempting to solve a serious problem with superficial or irrelevant actions. Alt. Performing a futile action. |
| red herring |
Global |
A false clue or issue intended to lead one astray or a fallacious argument (Ignoratio elenchi) |
| red-light district |
Global |
Area of town or city with a high concentration of houses of prostitution or prostitutes. From the practice of displaying a red light in a window or over the door to notify potential customers of the activity available within; possibly also related to the red brake lights seen on the rear of cars slowly 'kerb-crawling' and looking for prostitutes |
| red tape |
Global |
Bureaucratic obstacles to a desired result. Derived from the former British and US civil-war era practice of binding records and files with red tape. |
| reinvent the wheel |
Global |
Duplicate a basic method or concept; create a new solution to a problem for which an adequate one already exists. The new solution does not add value and implies a waste of time and/or money. Related to the "Not Invented Here" reaction in which a technician or artisan refuses to use an existing solution through the arrogant notion that only they can produce a 'correct' solution |
| (as) right as rain |
Global |
Perfectly correct; healthy; comfortable; as it should be. "Right as rain" is an alliterative cliche (specifically a simile) and play on words. The metaphor plays on a resonance between geometric straightness and correctness of judgment. There have been expressions starting with "right as..." since medieval times, always in the sense of something being satisfactory, safe, secure or comfortable. An early example, quoted as a proverb from circa 1546 "right as a line." In that, "right" might have had a literal sense of straightness, something desirable in a line, but it also clearly has a figurative sense of being correct or acceptable. Another example is from The Romance of the Rose of 1400: “right as an adamant”, where an adamant was a lodestone or magnet. "Right as rain" is a latecomer to this illustrious collection of similes. It may have first appeared at the very end of the nineteenth century, but one likely origin is from Max Beerbohm’s book Yet Again of 1909: “He looked, as himself would undoubtedly have said, ‘fit as a fiddle,’ or ‘right as rain.’ His cheeks were rosy, his eyes sparkling”. |
| right under (one's) nose |
Global |
Something so obvious that it is easily overlooked |
| rob Peter to pay Paul |
Global |
Solving a problem in a way that leads to a new problem; a quick solution with an obvious drawback (St Peter and St Paul being the disciples of Jesus); robbing Peter to pay Paul was used at least as far back as the 14th century, when theologian John Wycliff asked, "How should God approve that you rob Peter, and give this robbery to Paul in the name of Christ?" (courtesy of Merriam-Webster Online [2]) |
| rock the boat |
Global |
Disturbing the social group. Breaking with tradition or going against custom or an apparent consensus, possibly with entirely benign motives - but perhaps out of selfishness |
| roll with the punches |
USA, CANADA |
to be able to deal well with difficulties or criticism, to accept the consequences of a choice (usually in the sense of a mis-informed, unlucky, or unwise decision), to accept the fate of a situation (usually in the negative conotation). Can be used (more or less) literally, as in to absorb the force of a blow, punch or hit. Examples of figurative expressions: (1) "Someone stole my sweatshirt... oh well, I guess sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.", meaing to accept the result of fate or a previous decision... in this case accepting that the sweatshirtt is gone, but allowing one's self to move on and not dwell on the loss. (2) "You have to learn to roll with the punches." meaning to accept what is dealt to you, in this regard it is used in the manner of advice. 3. "With the loss of their former singer Bon Scott the Australian rock and roll band ACDC nearly decided to quit, but instead they rolled with the punches and hired a new lead singer, Brian Johnson, who helped them produce Back and Black, their most famous album ever, second in sales records following Michael Jackson's Thriller.", in this case the meaning is that the band chose to adjust to the difficult event of their former lead singer's passing, and continue with their work. The Origin is from the sport of Boxing: from the literal meaning roll with the punches (i.e. an instruction to step back or to one side as the boxer is being hit or punched), so that the boxer lessens the impact and receives less than the full force of the attack. |
| rotten or evil to the core |
Global |
To say of someone who has no good within them at all |
| rubber hits (meets) the road |
1. AUS, 1, 2 and 3. USA |
1. When the real work is about to start. ie. When a work project starts to get traction and move forward. Also sometimes said as the 'when the tyre hits the tarmac'. Opposite of 'wheels spinning' when nothing is happening.
2. Refers to a period of time when two related concepts, principles or ideas merge together, or come into full fruition, or when the full complexities of a situation are finally revealed. A place or circumstance at which the implementation of a plan or intent is to be achieved.
3. Refers to a moment of truth. (In the USA this phrase may be used generically to mean "where it really counts" (i.e. where something truly matters.) The origin of the phrase comes from the rubber tires of vehicles being used on road surfaces.
|
| run the table |
|
In sports or other competitions, to win every contest or series. ("To make the playoffs, the team will have to run the table."). Most often used in various games of pocket billiards meaning to shoot all (or sometimes the remainder of) balls off the table and winning the game without giving the opponent the opportunity to "shoot" |
| it runs in the family |
Global |
Ability, talent, or trait (good or bad) that is passed on through generations; see "Comes by it honestly" |