{v. phr.} To be convinced; persuaded; certain and
unworried. •/"Please rest assured," he said seriously, "that I will keep all
of my promises."/
[rest home]
See: CONVALESCENT HOME.
[rest on one’s laurels]
{v. phr.} To be satisfied with the success you
have already won; stop trying to win new honors. •/Getting an A in chemistry
almost caused Mike to rest on his laurels./
[rest on one’s oars]
{v. phr.} To stop trying; stop working for a
while; rest. •/The man who wants to become a millionaire can never rest on
his oars./ •/A high school student who wants to go to college cannot rest
on his oars./
[rest room]
{n.} A room or series of rooms in a public building which
has things for personal comfort and grooming, such as toilets, washbowls,
mirrors, and often chairs or couches. •/Sally went to the rest room to powder
her nose./ Compare: POWDER ROOM.
[retreat]
See: BEAT A RETREAT.
[return]
See: IN RETURN.
[return the compliment]
{v. phr.} To say or do the same to someone that
he has said or done to you; pay someone back. •/Mary said, "I love your new
hairdo" and Suzy returned the compliment with "What a pretty dress you’re
wearing, Mary."/ •/John punched Jerry in the nose, and Jerry returned the
compliment./
[reverse]
See: DOUBLE REVERSE, IN REVERSE.
[rev up]
{v. phr.}, {informal}, {slang} 1. To press down
sharply several times on the accelerator of an idling car in order to get
maximum acceleration. •/The race driver revved up his car by pumping his
accelerator./ 2. To get oneself ready in order to accomplish a demanding or
difficult task. •/The boys were getting all revved up for the football
game./ See: PSYCHED UP.
[rhyme or reason]
{n. phr.} A good plan or reason; a reasonable purpose
or explanation. — Used in negative, interrogative, or conditional sentences.
•/Don could see no rhyme or reason to the plot of the play./ •/It seemed
to Ruth that her little brother had temper tantrums without rhyme or reason./
[rib]
See: STICK TO ONE’S RIBS or STICK TO THE RIBS.
[rich]
See: STRIKE IT RICH.
[ride]
See: ALONG FOR THE RIDE, LET RIDE, RUN WITH HARE AND HUNT (RIDE)
WITH THE HOUNDS, TAKE FOR A RIDE, THUMB A RIDE.
[ride herd on]
{v. phr.} 1. To patrol on horseback around a herd of
animals to see that none of them wanders away. •/Two cowboys rode herd on the
cattle being driven to market./ 2. {informal} To watch closely and
control; take care of. •/A special legislative assistant rides herd on the
bills the president is anxious to have congress pass./ •/Mary rode herd on
the small children walking home from school to keep them from running into the
street./
[ride on one’s coattails]
{v. phr.} To succeed in a certain endeavor by
attaching oneself to the greater weight of another person or corporate body.
•/"We will never get our Ph.D. program approved on our own," said the head of
the modern dance department, "but we might succeed if we stay in the Division
of Fine Arts, riding on their coattails, as it were."/
[ride out]
{v.} To survive safely; endure. •/The captain ordered all
sails lowered so the ship could ride out the storm./ •/Jack decided to ride
out his troubles by saying that he had made a mistake but that he had learned
his lesson./