Commonly used english part 72 pot

reach an agreement - to make an agreement The city was not able to reach an agreement on where to build the new subway line.. read Idioms read between the lines - to find a hidden meani

rally around (someone or something)

- to come together to support someone or something

Everybody in the small town began to rally around the mayor when he was accused of wrongdoing

ram (something) down (someone`s) throat

- to force someone to do or agree to something that is not wanted

Our teacher always tries to ram her ideas down our throats which makes us angry

ramble on about (someone or something)

- to talk aimlessly and endlessly about someone or something

My friend spent the entire evening rambling on about his problems at work

rank and file

- the members of a group and not the leaders, regular soldiers and not the officers The rank and file of the large union were happy with their new contract

rant and rave about (someone or something)

- to shout angrily and wildly about someone or something

The man was ranting and raving about the bad service at the restaurant

rant (at someone) about (someone or something)

- to talk in a loud and violent way about someone or something

The customer was ranting at her friend while they were shopping for shoes

rap (someone's) knuckles

- to punish someone slightly

The company rapped the man's knuckles for taking a long coffee break

rap with (someone)

- to talk/chat with someone

I passed the morning rapping with my friend at the park

raring/rarin' to go

- to be extremely eager to do something

Everybody was rarin' to go after the speech by our company president

rat on (someone)

- to betray someone by telling someone else about illegal or wrong activities

The young boy ratted on his friend who broke the store window

rat out on (someone)

- to desert or betray someone, to leave someone at a critical time

The boy's friend ratted out on him and refused to support him in his fight with the neighborhood bully

rat race

- an endless hurried existence, a fierce struggle for success

The man sometimes finds it too much of a rat race to live and work in a big city

rate with (someone)

- to be in someone's favor

I do not think that I rate with some of the students at my school

rattle (something) off

- to recite something quickly and accurately

The little boy was able to rattle off most of the countries in the world

ravished with delight

- to be overcome with happiness or delight

I was ravished with delight when I heard that my friend had decided to get married

a raw deal

- unfair treatment

The man got a raw deal when he was forced to resign from his company

reach a compromise

- to achieve a compromise with someone

The company tried very hard to reach a compromise with the workers

reach an agreement

- to make an agreement

The city was not able to reach an agreement on where to build the new subway line

reach an impasse

- to get to a point where progress is impossible

The negotiations on where to build the new bridge have reached an impasse

reach first base with (someone or something)

- to make a major advance with someone or something

The salesperson was unable to reach first base with the large buyer

reach for the sky

- to set one's goals high

The young woman was reaching for the sky when she began to look for her first job

reach one's stride

- to do something at one's best level of ability

The woman has finally reached her stride as a very good sales representative

read Idioms

read between the lines

- to find a hidden meaning in something

I can read between the lines and I know what my friend was trying to say

read (someone) his or her rights

- to make the required statement of legal rights to a person who has been arrested The police officer read the bank robber his rights when he was arrested

read (someone) like an open book

- to understand someone very well

The girl can read her boyfriend like an open book

read (someone's) mind

- to guess what someone is thinking

It is very difficult to read the mind of my boss and know what she wants me to do

read (something) into (something)

- to attach a new or different meaning to something

We were told not to read anything into the recent actions of our company

read (something) over

- to read something

I read my presentation over before I had to deliver it to the class

read (something) through

- to read all of something

I read the report through before I returned it to my supervisor

read the handwriting on the wall

- to anticipate what is going to happen by observing small hints and clues

Everybody in our department could read the handwriting on the wall and knew that the company would soon close our department

read the riot act (to someone)

- to give someone a strong warning or scolding

The teacher read the riot act to her students when they began to misbehave in class

read up on (someone or something)

- to research and read about someone or something

I have been reading up on Egyptian history before our trip to Egypt this summer

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ready, willing, and able

- to be eager or willing to do something

Everybody in the small village is ready, willing, and able to help the family who lost their house in the fire

real McCoy

- the genuine thing

My new camera is the real McCoy and it will let me take any kind of picture that I want

the real thing

- something that is genuine and not an imitation

The small vase is the real thing and is very valuable

reality of a situation

- the way that a situation really is

The reality of the situation is that it is very difficult to enter some of the best

universities in the country

rear its ugly head

- something unpleasant appears or becomes obvious after being hidden

The problem of mold has reared its ugly head in our house again

receive/welcome (someone) with open arms

- to greet someone eagerly

The citizens received the Olympic athletes with open arms

reckon with (someone or something)

- to confront and deal with someone or something

I do not know how I will reckon with any more problems with our apartment

manager

recognize (someone or something) for what it/he/she is

- to see and understand exactly what someone or something is or represents

Everyone was able to recognize our new principal for what he is He is a very difficult person to work with

reconcile oneself to (something)

- to begin to feel comfortable with a bad or challenging situation

We have to reconcile ourselves to the fact that our school will close next year

red herring

- something that draws attention away from the matter that is under consideration The issue of salary is a red herring and is not related to the main issues of the

negotiations

red in the face

- to be embarrassed

The woman was red in the face after she dropped her keys down the elevator shaft

red-letter day

- a day that is memorable because of some important event

Saturday was a red-letter day when we finally won the school championship

red tape

- excessive formalities in official transactions

There was much red tape when we went to the city to get a business license

reduced to (something)

- to be brought into a humble condition or state

The building was reduced to ashes after the terrible fire

reel off (something)

- to recite something quickly and accurately

I tried hard to reel off all of the events of the past week

refill a prescription

- to sell a second set of medicine on a doctor's orders

I went to the pharmacy to refill a prescription for my mother

regain one's composure

- to become calm and composed

The woman took several hours to regain her composure after the fight with her

husband

regain one's feet

- to stand up again after falling or stumbling

My father quickly regained his feet after falling on the sidewalk

regardless of (something)

- without considering something, at any rate

Regardless of the weather we are going to go fishing tomorrow morning

regular as clockwork

- to be very dependable and regular

The bus comes by our house as regular as clockwork every morning

a regular guy

- a friendly person who everyone gets along with

The mayor of the city is a regular guy and is well-liked by most people

relative to (someone or something)

- in proportion to someone or something

The house was not very large relative to the amount of money that it cost

reliance on (someone or something)

- trust and dependence on someone or something

I think that my father has too much reliance on his business partner and it is causing him problems

religious about (doing something)

- to be strict about doing something

My father is religious about brushing his teeth before he goes to bed every night

reluctant to (do something)

- to not want to do something

The surgeon was reluctant to operate on the young boy before he was sure that it was necessary

to be reminiscent of (someone or something)

- to remind someone of someone or something, to seem like someone or something The music festival is reminiscent of the large music festivals of fifty years ago

reputed to be/do something

- to be thought to do/be/have something

The new police chief is reputed to be one of the best police chiefs in the country

resign oneself to something

- to accept something reluctantly

I have to resign myself to the fact that I will probably not get the job that I want

resonate with (someone)

- to appeal to someone or cause someone to like something

The idea of a film festival resonated with most members of the community

the responsible party

- the person or organization responsible or liable for something

The responsible party for the accident was taken away by the police for questioning

rest assured

- to be assured, to be certain

"You can rest assured that I will be at work early every morning this week."

rest in peace

- to lie dead peacefully for eternity

We prayed that my aunt would rest in peace after she recently passed away

rest on one`s laurels

- to be satisfied with the success that one has already achieved

My boss is always willing to work hard and is not the type of person to rest on his laurels