English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - R, page 2
from: 'rake in the money'
to: 'read the riot act'
- rake in the money
- If you rake in the money, you make money in large quantities.
"Bob's business is so successful, he's raking in the money."
- If you rake in the money, you make money in large quantities.
- ram something down someone's throat
- If you ram something down someone's throat, you
force them to accept something against their will.
"I encourage him to learn English but I can't ram it down his throat."
- If you ram something down someone's throat, you
force them to accept something against their will.
- rant and rave
- If you rant and rave about something, you protest noisily and forcefully.
"The old man ranted and raved about the new waste collection system, but he had to accept it."
- If you rant and rave about something, you protest noisily and forcefully.
- rap on/across the knuckles
- If someone gets a rap on/across the knuckles, they are
punished or reprimanded, but not very severely, as a reminder not to do something again.
"Andy got a rap on the knuckles for coming home late."
- If someone gets a rap on/across the knuckles, they are
punished or reprimanded, but not very severely, as a reminder not to do something again.
- take the rap
- If you take the rap for something, you accept blame or punishment for a wrongdoing,
even if you are not responsible for it.
"Since nobody admitted responsibility, the whole class had to take the rap for the disorder."
- If you take the rap for something, you accept blame or punishment for a wrongdoing,
even if you are not responsible for it.
- in raptures
- If you are in raptures about something, you are
delighted or very enthusiastic.
"Caroline is in raptures about her new apartment."
- If you are in raptures about something, you are
delighted or very enthusiastic.
- raring to go
- If someone is raring to go, they are very eager, enthusiastic or excited about
the idea of doing something, and can’t wait to get started.
"The kids can't wait to go camping. Their bags are packed already and they're raring to go!"
- If someone is raring to go, they are very eager, enthusiastic or excited about
the idea of doing something, and can’t wait to get started.
- rat race
- Continuous stressful competition in modern society for success, power or
money, especially in business, is called the rat race.
"Emily is sick and tired of the rat race. She's going to leave her job in a big company and work freelance."
- Continuous stressful competition in modern society for success, power or
money, especially in business, is called the rat race.
- like a rat up a drainpipe
- If someone moves or runs like a rat up a drainpipe,
they do it as quickly as possible.
"When the police informer saw a friend, he took off like a rat up a drainpipe."
- If someone moves or runs like a rat up a drainpipe,
they do it as quickly as possible.
- smell a rat
- To say 'I smell a rat' means that you suspect that
something is wrong, or that someone is doing something dishonest or incorrect.
"The profits announced are abnormally low. I smell a rat."
- To say 'I smell a rat' means that you suspect that
something is wrong, or that someone is doing something dishonest or incorrect.
- rats in the attic
- If you say that someone has rats in the attic, you
mean that they are a bit mad or that their behaviour is eccentric.
"She keeps repeating the same question. I think she's got rats in the attic."
- If you say that someone has rats in the attic, you
mean that they are a bit mad or that their behaviour is eccentric.
- rather you than me
- This expression is used to express sympathy with someone who has to do
something unpleasant or difficult, and you would not like to be in their situation.
"I have to announce the bad new to the child's parents."
"Oh dear, rather you than me."
- This expression is used to express sympathy with someone who has to do
something unpleasant or difficult, and you would not like to be in their situation.
- reach for the moon
- If you reach for the moon, you are very ambitious
and try to achieve something even if it is difficult.
"His parents were hardworking people who encouraged their children to reach for the moon."
- If you reach for the moon, you are very ambitious
and try to achieve something even if it is difficult.
- reach saturation point
- When something reaches saturation point,
it reaches a stage where nothing more can be added, accommodated or absorbed.
"That's enough information for today. My brain has reached saturation point!"
"The exhibition has attracted so many visitors that the museum has almost reached saturation point."
- When something reaches saturation point,
it reaches a stage where nothing more can be added, accommodated or absorbed.
- read between the lines
- Someone who can read between the lines is
able to understand thoughts or feelings that are not expressed openly.
"He didn’t say he was worried but his wife could read between the lines."
- Someone who can read between the lines is
able to understand thoughts or feelings that are not expressed openly.
- read from the same page / be on the same page
- People who read from the same page or who
'are on the same page' share the same understanding
or knowledge about something, or have the same opinion as others in a group.
"We need to be reading from the same page before we talk to the boss."
- People who read from the same page or who
'are on the same page' share the same understanding
or knowledge about something, or have the same opinion as others in a group.
- read someone like a book
- If you can read someone like a book, you are
able to understand easily what they are thinking or feeling.
"Eva has been my best friend since we were children. I can read her like a book!"
- If you can read someone like a book, you are
able to understand easily what they are thinking or feeling.
- read the riot act
- If you declare with force and authority that something must stop,
and announce the consequences if it happens again, you read the riot act.
"Dad read us the riot act when we messed up his tool-shed."
- If you declare with force and authority that something must stop,
and announce the consequences if it happens again, you read the riot act.
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