Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[rough up] {v.} To attack or hurt physically; treat roughly; beat. •/ Three boys were sent home for a week because they roughed up a player on the visiting team. / •/ While Pete was walking in a strange part of town some boys roughed him up and told him to stay out of their territory. /

[roughly speaking] {adv. phr.} Approximately; in general terms. •/ Roughly speaking, about 250 people attended the annual convention of the Dictionary Society of America. /

[roulette]See: RUSSIAN ROULETTE.

[round]See: BRING AROUND or BRING ROUND, COME ROUND, GO THE ROUNDS, MAKE ROUNDS, SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE, YEAR-ROUND.

[round-eyed]or [wide-eyed]also [large-eyed] {adj.} Very much surprised; astonished; awed. •/ The people were round-eyed when they learned what the computer could do. / •/ The children were wide-eyed at the sight of the Christmas tree and didn’t make a sound. /

[round off] {v.} 1. To make round or curved. •/ John decided to round off the corners of the table he was making so that no one would be hurt by bumping them. / 2. To change to the nearest whole number. •/ The teacher said to round off the averages. / 3. To end in a satisfactory way; put a finishing touch on; finish nicely. •/ We rounded off the dinner with mixed nuts. / •/ A boat ride in the moonlight rounded off the day at the lake. / Compare: TOP OFF.

[round out] {v. phr.} To complete; make whole. •/ He needs only one or two more rare compact discs to round out his collection of Vivaldi. /

[round robin] {n. phr.} 1. Something written, especially a request or protest that is signed by a group of people. — Often used like an adjective. •/ The people in our neighborhood are sending a round robin to the Air Force to protest the noise the jet planes make flying over our houses. / 2. A letter written by a group of people each writing one or two paragraphs and then sending the letter to another person, who adds a paragraph, and so on. •/ The class sent a round-robin letter to Bill in the hospital. / 3. A meeting in which each one in a group of people takes part; a talk between various members of a group. — Often used like an adjective. •/ There is a round-robin meeting of expert fishermen on the radio, giving advice on how to catch fish. / 4. A contest or games in which each player or team plays every other player or team in turn. — Often used like an adjective. •/ The tournament will be a round robin for all the high school teams in the city. /

[rounds]See: GO THE ROUNDS.

[round the clock]See: AROUND THE CLOCK.

[round trip] {n.} A return trip; passage to a place and back. •/ The ticket agent explained that a ticket for a round trip to Hawaii at certain times of the year may cost less than a one-way ticket during the high season. /

[roundup] {n.} A muster; an inspection; a gathering together. •/ The farmer and his son decided to hold a major roundup of all their cattle to see that none had been stolen by the bandits. / •/ The police roundup of all suspected drug dealers took place early in the morning. /

[round up] {v.} 1. To bring together (cattle or horses). •/ Cowboys round up their cattle in the springtime to brand the new calves. / 2. {informal} To collect; gather. •/ Dave rounded up many names for his petition. /

[row]See: HARD ROW TO HOE or TOUGH ROW TO HOE, HOE ONE’S OWN ROW, SKID ROW.

[royal road] {n. phr.} A quick means of accomplishment; an easy path. •/ There is no royal road to learning in order to obtain a university degree. /

[rubdown] {n.} A massage. •/ The chiropractor gave his patient a powerful rubdown. /

[rub-a-dub] {n.} The sound made by beating a drum. •/ We heard a great rub-a-dub as the parade marched into view. /

[rubber check] {n.} , {informal} A check written without enough money in the bank to make it good. •/ Bill got into trouble when he paid his bills with rubber checks. / •/ By the time we knew he had paid us with a rubber check, the man had left the state. / •/ The rubber check bounced. /

[rub down] {v. phr.} 1. To dry the body of (an animal or person) by rubbing. •/ Stablemen rub down a horse after a race. / 2. To rub and press with the fingers on the body of (a person) to loosen muscles or prevent stiffness; massage. •/ Trainers rub down an athlete after hard exercise. /

[rub elbows]also [rub shoulders] {v. phr.} To be in the same place (with others); meet and mix. •/ City people and country people, old and young, rub elbows at the horse show. / •/ On a visit to the United Nations Building in New York, you may rub elbows with people from faraway lands. /

[rub it in] {v. phr.} , {slang} To remind a person again and again of an error or short-coming; tease; nag. •/ Jerry was already unhappy because he fumbled the ball, but his teammates kept rubbing it in. / •/ I know my black eye looks funny. You don’t need to rub it in. /

[rub off] {v.} 1. To remove or be removed by rubbing; erase. •/ The teacher rubs the problem off the chalkboard. / •/ After Ann shook hands with the president, she would not shake hands with anyone else because she thought that the good luck would rub off. / 2. To stick to something touched; come off. •/ Don’t touch that charcoal, it will rub off. / •/ Mary’s dress touched the door that Father was painting, and some paint rubbed off on her dress. / 3. To pass to someone near as if by touching. •/ Jimmy is very lucky; I wish some of his luck would rub off on me. /

[rub out] {v.} , {slang} To destroy completely; kill; eliminate. •/ The gangsters rubbed out four policemen before they were caught. / •/ The gangsters told the storekeeper that if he did not pay them to protect him, someone would rub him out. / Compare: WIPE OUT, RID OF.

[rub salt into one’s wounds] {v. phr.} , {informal} To deliberately add pain when one feels shame, regret, or defeat. •/ Must you rub salt into my wounds by telling me how much fun I missed by not going to the party? /

[rub shoulders]See: RUB ELBOWS.

[rub the wrong way] {v. phr.} , {informal} To make (someone) a little angry; do something not liked by (someone); annoy; bother. •/ John’s bragging rubbed the other boys the wrong way. / •/ Mother’s friend called Harold a little boy, and that rubbed Harold the wrong way. / Compare: AGAINST THE GRAIN(2).

[rub up against] {v. phr.} To come into contact with. •/ In that business one naturally has to rub up against all kinds of people. /

[rub up to] {v. phr.} To do nice things for one; flatter a person; gain attention or rewards. •/ Mona has the ability to rub up to the right kinds of people, so it’s no wonder she is so popular at her work. /

[ruffle feathers]or [ruffle one’s feathers] {v. phr.} Insult or disturb slightly; offend. •/ The author ruffled some feathers by his portrait of his hometown. /

[rug]See: PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER, SWEEP UNDER THE RUG.

[rule]See: EXCEPTION PROVES THE RULE, GROUND RULE.

[rule of thumb] {n. phr.} A simple and practical method that has proven successful or useful in the past. •/ It is a very good rule of thumb to look up all unfamiliar words in a good dictionary. /

[rule out] {v.} 1. To say that (something) must not be done; not allow; also: decide against. •/ The principal ruled out dances on school nights. / •/ The play was ruled out by the referee. / •/ Jean probably will not go to college, but she has not ruled that out. / 2. To show that (someone or something) is not a possibility; make it unnecessary to think about; remove (a chance). •/ We have to find a baby-sitter for tonight; Betsy has a date, so that rules her out. / •/ The doctor took X rays to rule out the chance of broken bones. / 3. To make impossible; prevent. •/ Father’s death seems to rule out college for Jean. / •/ Betsy’s date for the dance ruled out any baby-sitting that evening. /

[rule the roost] {v. phr.} , {informal} To be leader or boss; be in charge. •/ Jim is very bossy; he always wants to rule the roost. / •/ Who rules the roost in the Smith’s house? / Compare: WEAR THE TROUSERS.

[run]See: BLOOD RUNS COLD, END RUN, CUT AND RUN, FIRST-RUN, HOME RUN, IN THE LONG RUN, IN THE RUNNING, ON THE RUN, OUT OF THE RUNNING, SECOND-RUN.

[run across]See: COME ACROSS(1).

[run after]or [chase after] {v.} 1. To try to find; look for; hunt. •/ The Dramatic Club has to run all over town after things for setting the stage when it puts on a play. / 2. {informal} To seek the company of; chase. •/ Some boys spend a lot of time and money running after girls. /

[run along] {v.} To go away; leave. •/ Joan said she had errands to do and must run along. /

[run a risk]or [take a risk] {v. phr.} To be open to danger or loss; put yourself in danger; be unprotected. •/ A baseball umpire wears a mask and chest protector so he won’t run the risk of being hit by the ball. / •/ Billy takes a risk of being hit by a car when he runs into the street without looking. / •/ I was afraid to run the risk of betting on the game. / Compare: TAKE A CHANCE.

[run around in circles] {v. phr.} To waste time in repetitious movements; be confused. •/ There was such a crowd in the lobby that I ran around in circles trying to find my group. /

[run around]or [chase around] {v.} , {informal} To go to different places for company and pleasure; be friends. •/ Tim hasn’t been to a dance all year; with school work and his job, he hasn’t time to run around. / •/ Chuck and Jim chase around a lot together. / — Often used with "with". •/ Ruth runs around with girls who like to go dancing. / Compare: GO AROUND, HANG AROUND.

[run around like a chicken with its head cut off]See: RUN AROUND IN CIRCLES.

[run a temperature] {v. phr.} To have a body temperature that is above normal; have a fever. •/ Jimmy didn’t look ill, although he was running a temperature. / •/ We took the baby to the doctor because he was running a temperature. /