[raise the roof] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To make a lot of noise; be happy and noisy. * /The gang raised the roof with their singing./ 2. To scold loudly. * /Mother raised the roof when she saw the dog's muddy footprints on her new bedspread./ Compare: KICK UP A FUSS, RAISE CAIN.
[rake in] <v. phr.> To realize great profits; take in money. * /Because of the heavy snowfall, ski lodge operators in the Rocky Mountains have been raking in the dough this winter season./
[rake off] <v. phr.> To illegally expropriate part of a sum paid. * /The secretary-treasurer of the association has been caught raking off some of the membership dues./
[rake-off] See: KICKBACK.
[rake over the coals] See: HAUL OVER THE COALS.
[rake up] <v. phr.> To expose; gather; bring to light. * /Let's forget about the past; there's no need to rake up all those old memories./
[ramble on about] <v. phr.> To chatter on idly and without a purpose. * /When Ted has too much to drink, he always rambles on about the good old days./
[ram down one's throat] See: SHOVE DOWN ONE'S THROAT.
[random] See: AT RANDOM.
[rank] See: CLOSE RANKS, PULL RANK.
[rank and file] <n. phr.> Ordinary people; the regular membership of an organization; the enlisted privates in the Army. * /The general usually inspects the rank and file on specific national holidays./ * /The secretary of the association sends letters annually to the rank and file./
[rap] See: TAKE THE RAP.
[rap one's knuckles] <v. phr.> To scold or punish. * /The principal rapped our knuckles for cheating on the test./ * /If you talk back to Dad, you'll get your knuckles rapped./ * /The club got its knuckles rapped by the principal for hazing new members./ * /Why rap my knuckles? It wasn't my fault./ Compare: DRESSING DOWN, GIVE IT TO(2).
[rat] See: SMELL A RAT.
[rate] See: AT ANY RATE, FIRST RATE.
[rather] See: HAD RATHER.
[rat on] See: BLOW THE WHISTLE, RAT OUT.
[rat out] or [rat out on] <v. phr.>, <slang> To desert; to leave at a critical time. * /Joe ratted out on Sue when she was seven months pregnant./
[rat race] <n.>, <slang> A very confusing, crowded, or disorderly rush; a confusing scramble, struggle, or way of living that does not seem to have a purpose. * /The dance last night was a rat race. It was too noisy and crowded./ * /School can be a rat race if you don't keep up with your studies./ * /This job is a rat race. The faster you work, the faster the boss wants you to work./
[rate with someone] <v. phr.> To be esteemed highly by another. * /The professor really rates with both the graduate students and the undergraduates./
[rattle] See: SABRE RAITLING.
[rattle off] or [reel off] <v.> To say quickly without having to stop to think; recite easily and rapidly. * /When Roger was seven he could rattle off the names of all the states in alphabetical order./ * /Joan memorized the "Gettysburg Address" so well that she could reel it off./ * /We asked the waitress what flavors of ice cream she had, and she rattled them off./
[rattle one's saber] <v. phr.> To threaten another government or country without subsequent acts of war. * /It is considered an act of demagoguery on the part of politicians to rattle their sabers./ Compare: YELLOW JOURNALISM.
[rave about] <v. phr.> To talk very enthusiastically about someone or something. * /Hank praised the new TV show very highly but we didn't think it was anything to rave about./
[raw] See: IN THE RAW.
[raw deal] <n. phr.> Unfair treatment; inequity. * /Barry got a raw deal when he was sent to teach the class on advanced nuclear physics; he's an inexperienced graduate student./
[razzle-dazzle] <n.>, <slang> Fancy display; showing off. * /He is such a good player that he doesn't have to add razzle-dazzle to his game./ * /Do we need all this razzle-dazzle to advertise our fair?/
[reach] See: BOARDING HOUSE REACH.
[reach first base] See: GET TO FIRST BASE.
[reach for the sky] <v. phr.>, <slang> 1. To put your hands high above your head or be shot. - Usually used as a command. * /A holdup man walked into a gas station last night and told the attendant "Reach for the sky!"/ Syn.: HANDS UP. 2. To set one's aims high. * /"Why medical technician?" asked her father. "Reach for the sky! Become a physician!"/
[read between the lines] <v. phr.> To understand all of a writer's meaning by guessing at what he has left unsaid. * /Some kinds of poetry make you read between the lines./ * /A clever foreign correspondent can often avoid censorship by careful wording, leaving his audience to read between the lines./
[read into] <v. phr.> To attribute extra meaning to; deduce from; consider to be implicit in. * /Just because Fred's letters sounded so friendly Mary was wrong to read anything serious into them./
[read off] <v. phr.> To read in a speaking voice from a list. * /The secretary read off the names of those present in alphabetical order./
[read one like a book] <v. phr.>, <informal> To understand someone completely; know what he will think or do at any time. * /John's girlfriend could read him like a book./ Compare: READ ONE'S MIND.
[read one one's rights] <v. phr.> To give to an arrested person the legally required statement regarding the rights of such a person. * /"Read him his rights," Sergeant," the captain said, "and book him for breaking and entering."/
[read one's mind] <v. phr.> To know what someone else is thinking. * /I have known John so long that I can read his mind./ - [mind reader] <n.> * /That's exactly what I was going to say. You must be a mind reader!/ Compare: READ LIKE A BOOK.
[read the riot act] <v. phr.> To give someone a strong warning or scolding. * /Three boys were late to class and the teacher read the riot act to them./
[read over] <v. phr.> To read hurriedly in a rather superficial manner. * /The professor said he had no time to read my essay thoroughly but that he had read it over and would comment later in detail./
[read up on] <v. phr.> To study carefully in preparation for an examination or other special purpose. * /Since Mr. and Mrs. Lee are going to take their American citizenship exams soon, they must read up on the Constitution and the three branches of government./
[ready] See: AT THE READY, ROUGH-AND-READY.
[ready-made] <adj.> Mass-produced; machine made. * /I buy all my dresses ready-made because I can't afford to have them made to order./
[ready money] <n. phr.> Cash on hand. * /Frank refuses to buy things on credit, but, if he had the ready money, he would buy that lovely old house./
[real] See: FOR REAL, IT'S BEEN REAL.
[rear] See: BRING UP THE REAR.
[rear end] <n.> 1. The back part (usually of a vehicle) * /The rear end of our car was smashed when we stopped suddenly and the car behind us hit us./ - Often used like an adjective, with a hyphen. * /A head-on crash is more likely to kill the passengers than a rear-end crash./ Contrast: HEAD-ON. 2. Rump; backside. * /Bobby's mother was so annoyed with his teasing that she swatted his rear end./
[rear its head] <v. phr.> To appear; emerge. * /After decades of certainty that tuberculosis had been eradicated globally, it suddenly reared its ugly head right here in the United States./
[reason] See: IN REASON, LISTEN TO REASON, RHYME OR REASON, STAND TO REASON, WITHIN REASON.
[receive with open arms] See: WITH OPEN ARMS.
[reckon with] <v.> To consider as one of the things which may change a situation; consider (something) that will make a difference in the results. * /The coach said the opposing pitcher had a fast ball to be reckoned with./ Syn.: TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.