English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Right as rain

If things are right as rain, then everything is going well in your life.

Right church, wrong pew

Right church, wrong pew means that someone is very nearly right,  but someting is wrong.

Right out of the blocks

This means immediately; at the very beginning.  It describes a sprinter blasting out of the starting blocks at the beginning of a short distance race (e.g., 100-yard dash, 50-yard dash).

Right royal

(UK) A right royal night out would be an extremely exciting, memorable and fun one.

Right up my alley

If something is right up your alley, it suits you perfectly.

Right up your street

If something is ideal for you, it is right up your street.

Ring a bell

If something rings a bell, it reminds you of something you have heard before, though you may not be able to remember it very well. A name may ring a bell, so you know you have heard the name before, but cannot place it properly.

Ringside seat

If you have a ringside seat, you can observe something from a very close and clear position.

Rip van Winkle

Rip van Winkle is a character in a story who slept for twenty years, so if someone is a Rip van Winkle, they are behind the times and out of touch with what's happening now.

Rise and shine

If you wake up full of energy, you rise and shine.

Rise from the ashes

If something rises from the ashes, it recovers after a serious failure.

Road to Damascus

If someone has a great and sudden change in their ideas or beliefs, then this is a road to Damascus change, after the conversion of Saint Paul to Christianity while heading to Damascus to persecute Christians.

Road to hell is paved with good intentions

When people say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, they mean that positive intentions may have negative outcomes.

Rob Peter to pay Paul

If you rob Peter to pay Paul, you try to solve one problem, but create another in doing so, often through short-term planning.

Rob the cradle

To rob the cradle is to marry or have a relationship with someone much younger.

Rock the boat

If you rock the boat, you destabilise a situation by making trouble. It is often used as advice; 'Don't rock the boat'.

Rocket science

If something is not rocket science, it is not very complicated or difficult to understand. This idiom is normally used in the negative.

Rocky road

If someone is going down a rocky road, they have problems and difficulties to deal with.

Roll in the hay

A roll in the hay is quick sexual intercourse- a quickie or casual improvised sex.

Roll out the red carpet

If you roll out the red carpet, you treat someone in a special way, especially when welcoming them.

Roll the dice

To take a chance on something. "Let's roll the dice and see what happens."

Roll up your sleeves

If you roll up your sleeves, you get ready to start working hard.

Roll with the punches

If you roll with the punches, you are flexible and able to adapt to difficult circumstances.

Roll your eyes

If you roll your eyes, you show with your eyes that you don't believe someone or aren't interested in what they're saying.

Rolling in money

If someone has a lot of money, more than they could possibly need, they are rolling in money.

Rolling in the aisles

If the audience watching something are laughing loudly, the show has them rolling in the aisles.

Rome was not built in a day

This idiom means that many things cannot be done instantly, and require time and patience.

Root hog or die poor

(USA) It's a expression used in the Southern USA that means that you must look out for yourself as no one's going to do it for you.  (It can be shortened to 'root hog'.  A hog is a pig.)

Rooted to the spot

If someone is rooted to the spot, they canot move, either physically or they cannot think their way out of a problem.

Rose-colored glasses

If people see things through rose-colored (coloured) glasses, they see them in a more positive light than they really are.

Rose-tinted glasses

If people see things through rose-tinted glasses, they see them in a more positive light than they really are.

Rough and ready

If something is rough and ready, it has not been carefully prepared, but is fit for its purpose. If a person is rough and ready, they are not very refined or mannered.

Rough around the edges

If someone is rough around the edges, they haven't mastered something, though they show promise.

Rough diamond

A rough diamond is a person who might be a bit rude but who is good underneath it all.

Rough edges

If something has rough edges, it is still not a finished product and not all of a uniform standard.

Rough end of the stick

To get the rough end of the stick is to be treated unfairly or to come off worse than the other party in a transaction, situation or relationship.

Rough patch

A rough patch is a difficult or trying period.

Rough-hewn

If something, especially something made from wood or stone, is rough-hewn, it is unfinished or unpolished.

Round the bend

If someone has gone round the bend, they have stopped being rational about something. If something drives you round the bend, it irritates you or makes you angry.

Round the houses

If you go round the houses, you do something in an inefficient way when there is a quicker, more convenient way.

Rub shoulders

If you rub shoulders with people, you meet and spend time with them, especially when they are powerful or famous.

Rub someone up the wrong way

If you annoy or irritate someone when you didn't mean to, you rub them up the wrong way.

Rudderless ship

If an organisation, company, government, etc, is like a rudderless ship, it has no clear direction and drifts about without reaching its goals.

Rue the day

This means that the person will one day bitterly regret what they have done.

Ruffle a few feathers

If you ruffle a few feathers, you annoy some people when making changes or improvements.

Rule of thumb

Rule of thumb means approximately.

Rule the roost

If someone rules the roost they are the boss. Example:There's no doubt who rules the roost in this house.

Run a mile

If someone "Runs a mile", they do everything they can to avoid a situation. Example: "I was worried that he'd take one look at me and run a mile."

Run amok

When things or people are running amok, they are wild and out of control.('Run amuck' is also used.) 

Run around the bush

(USA) If you run around the bush, it means that you're taking a long time to get to the point.

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