314 qed I qed QEDformal something that you say in order to emphasize that a fact proves what you have just said is true fb QED is a short form of the latin phrase 'quod erat demonstrandum' which means 'which was to have been proven'.• People are getting taller all the time - apparently it's progress and has to with quality of life (cavemen wereshort QED) qt on the q.t, old-fashioned secretly,without anyone knowing fb q.t is a short way of writing 'quiet' • All this time she'd been making plans on the q.t to change herjob quaking be quaking in your boots to be very frightened or anxious> Myfirst teacher had one of those deep, booming voicesthat had you quaking in your boots make sb quake in their boots Just the sound of her voice made me quake in my boots quantum a quantum leap British & American a quantum jump American a very important improvement or development in something (often + forward) The election of a female president is a quantum leap forward for sexual equality.• (often + from) Thefood at Rockresorts is a quantum jump from the meals served at most Caribbean resorts quart get/put a quart into a pint pot British to try to put too much of something into a small space fb A quart is a unit for measuring liquids It is equal to two pints.• I'm trying to get this huge pile of clothes crammed into these two drawers Talk about trying to get a quart into a pint pot! queer a queer fish British, old-fashioned a strange person I knew his father and he was a queerfish too be in Queer Street British, old-fashioned, humorous to owe a lot of money to other people • Now don't you go doing anything that'll landyou in Queer Street! question ? >C to start your life very poor and then later in life become very rich People who go from rags to riches are often afraid the good life will be snatched away from them rags-to-riches • (always before noun) Raised in poverty by an uncle in Oklahoma, his was a real rags-to-riches story rails be back on the rails British to be making progress once more • The minister emerged from three hours of discussions, confident that the talks are now back on the rails put sth back on the rails British With this new album, he hopes toput his career back on the rails go off the rails informal to start behaving strangely or in a way that is not acceptable to society He went off the rails in his twenties and started lioing on the streets • By the law of probabilities if you have five kids, one of them's going togo off the rails Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this rain 318 rain (come) rain or shine whatever the weather is • He runs every morning, rain or shine if you say you will something come rain or shine, you mean you will it whatever happens • Come rain or shine, I'll be there, I promise I'll take a rain check American, British & Australian, informal I'll get a rain check American, informal something that you say when you cannot accept someone's invitation to something but you would like to it another time (often + on) I'll take a rain check on that drink tonight, if that's all right • I won't play tennis this afternoon but can I get a rain check? ask (sb) for a rain check American, informal I was supposed to see Marge on Saturday - I'll have to ask her for a rain check has a couple of thousand pounds kept aside which she's saving for a rainy day a rainy day fund an amount of money that you have saved • I'm hoping that I can pay for my holiday without dipping into my rainy dayfund raison d'etre sb's/sth's raison d'etreformal the most important reason why something exists, or the most important thing in someone's life She's nevergoing to retirework is her raison d 'etre • Serious, experimental drama was once the raison d'etre of the festival but it has now been replacedby comedyand cabaretshows rake-off a rake-off informal a share of the profits of something, often taken in a way that is not honest • Corrupt customs officers were taking a rake-off from import taxes rainbows ramrod chase rainbows be as stiff/straight as a ramrod old- to waste your time trying to get or achieve something impossible (usually in continuous tenses) I don't think my parents ever believed I'd make it as an actor I think they thought I was just chasing rainbows raining It's raining cats and dogs! old-fashioned something that you say when it is raining very heavily It's raining cats and dogs out there! It's a wonder any of the men can see what they're doing! rains It never rains but it pours something that you say which means that when one bad thing happens, a lot of other bad things also happen, making the situation even worse First of all it was the car breaking down, then thefire in the kitchen and now Mike's accident It never rains but it pours! rainy save (sth) for a rainy day to keep an amount of money for a time in the future when it might be needed s She fashioned if someone is as stiff as a ramrod, they stand or sit with their back very straight and stiff • At eighty-three, he's still as straight as a ramrod rank the rank and file the ordinary members of an organization and not its leaders • The party leadership seems to be losing the support of the rank and file rank-and-file • (always before noun) Nearly two-thirds of the vote went to union leaders and rank-and-file party activists pull rank to use the power that your position gives you over someone in order to make them what you want (often + on) He doesn't have the authority topull rank on me any more • She was boss of forty or more people but, to her credit, she never once pulled rank ranks break ranks to publicly show that you disagree with a Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove thi rat-arsed 319 group of which you are a member· (often + with) Junior officers were said to be bad that has happened, especially when it is not your fault • (often + for) I'm not prepared to break leadership going to take the rap for someone else's mistakes ranks with the close ranks ~ if members of a group close ranks, they publicly show that they support each other, especially when people outside of the group are criticizing them Ib If soldiers close ranks, they move closer together so that it is more difficult to go past them • In the past, the party would have closed ranks around its leader and defended him loyally against his critics join the ranks of sth to become part of into raptures about the chocolatecake raring be raring to go to be full of energy and ready to something • At three in the morning he was still wide awake and raring togo a large group • Thousands of young people join the ranks of the unemployed each summer when they leave school ransom raptures go into raptures ~ to talk about something in a very pleased and excited way (often + about) She went /'< hold sbto ransom to force someone to something by putting them in a situation where something bad will happen to them if they not • Some people regarded the miners' strike as the union holding the nation to ransom rap a rap across/on/over the knuckles a punishment which is not very severe but which warns you not to behave that way again • The company received a rap over the knuckles from the Food and Drug Administration • Her remarks earned her a sharp rap across the knuckles from the Prime Minister: rap sb's knuckles • She rapped my knuckles and sent me on my way a rap sheet American, informal information kept by the police about someone's criminal activities • The gunman's rap sheet had a long list of weapons and narcotics offenses beat the rap American, informal to escape being punished There's no way he can beat the rap now No lawyer can save him take the rap /( to be blamed or punished for something raspberry blow a raspberry British & Australian, informal give a raspberry American, informal to make a rude noise by putting your tongue between your lips and blowing • (often + at) A boy of no more than six appeared, blew a raspberry at me and then ran away rat x::' a rat fink American, informal an extremely unpleasant person, or someone who has given secret information about you to the police «If I find the rat fink who informed on me, he won't live long enough to it again X aratrace an unpleasant way in which people compete against each other at work in order to succeed I'd love to get out of the rat race and buy a house in some remote part of the countryside smell a rat >( to start to believe that something is wrong about a situation, especially that someone is being dishonest She smelled a rat when she phoned him at the office where he was supposed to be working late and he wasn't there rat-arsed rat-arsed British, very informal rat-assed American, very informal very drunk They came home completely rat-arsed Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this rate 320 rate at a rate of knots British & Australian if someone does something at a rate of knots, they it very quickly fb The speed a boat travels is measured in knots • She did her homework at a rate of knots so that she could go out with herfriends reach raw come the raw prawn Australian, informal to pretend that you have no knowledgeof what someone is talking about (usually + with) Oh, don't come the raw prawn with me, Scott, I saw you writing down her telephone number as I walked into the room! get a raw deal to not be treated as well as other people • The fact is that kids who are taught in classes of over thirty get a raw deal in the raw informal naked» She often swims in the raw ray reach for the moon/stars someone or something that makes you feel happy, especially in a difficult situation • Amid all the gloom, their grandchild has beena real ray of sunshine rays !V to lie or sit outside in the sun' I thought I'd take my lunch outside and catch a feui rays razzle be/go (out) on the razzle British, informal, old-fashioned to enjoy yourself by doing things like going to parties or dances We're going out on the razzle on New Year's Eve - you fancy coming? a night (out) on the razzle informal, old-fashioned • We've had a night on the razzle, so I've got a bit of a hangover razzle-dazzle razzle-dazzle activity that is intended to attract ,A, " to try to achieve something that is very difficult- If you want success,you have to reachfor the moon read take it as read British & Australian to accept that something is true without making sure that it is (often + that) We just took it as read that we were invited ready ready cash/money money that is immediately available to spend • They need investors with ready money if they're going to get the project started " be ready to roll a ray of sunshine catch some rays informal catch a few rays informal people's attention by being noisy or exciting • Amid all the razzle-dazzle of the party convention, it is easy to forget about the realpolitical issues razzle-dazzle • (always before noun) It was their razzle-dazzle style that caught people's eye ¥\ mainly American to be goingto start soon • The new TV series from the Hill Street Blues creator;Steve Bochco,is ready to roll American to be goingto leavesoon' Give me a call when you're ready to roll, and I'll meetyou outside real the real McCoy the real thing and not a copy or something similar fb Kid McCoy, an American boxer (= a man who fights as a sport), was called 'the real McCoy' to show that he was not another boxer who had the same name • Cheap sparkling wines cannot be labelled 'champagne' It has to be the real McCoy Get real! informal something that you say in order to tell someone that they should try to understand the true facts of a situation instead of hoping for something impossible • Oh, get real! You're not tall enough to be a model reap You reap what you sow Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this record 321 SOW, so shall you reap.jormal something that you say which means everything that happens to you is a result of your own actions • If you treat your friends like that, of course they drop you You reap what you sow in this life As you rear unhappy and confused because a close, romantic relationship of yours has recently finished • She was on the rebound when she met Jack • Six months after Julia left him, he married someone eiseon the rebound receiving bring up the rear to be at the back of a group of people who are walking or runnlng > Ceri was in the lead Bringing up the rear, a mile or so down the road, was Simon rear-end rear-end sth American be at/on the receiving end X if you are on the receiving end of something unpleasant that someonedoes, you suffer because of it • (usually + of) Sales assistants are often at the receiving end of verbal abusefrom customers recipe to cause an accident by hitting the back of the car in front of you • His car was rear-ended while he was stopped at the light rearguard fight a rearguard action to try very hard to prevent something from happening when it is probably too late to prevent it • (often + against) The unions werefighting a rearguard action against the government's attempt to strip them of their powers be a recipe for [disaster/successetc.] if something is a recipe for disaster, success etc., it is very likely to cause this • Living with your husband's family is a recipefor disaster record for the record X something that you say when you are about to tell someone something important that you want them to remember Just for the record,I've never been to his house and I've only met him a few times, whatever the media is saying goon record rearranging be like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic British & Australian, humorous if an activity is like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, it it will have no effect Ib The Titanic was a large ship that sank suddenly in 1912with most of its passengers • With unemployment at record leveis, plans for better advertising of job vacancies are a bit like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic reason rebound on the rebound to publicly and officially tell people your opinion about something (often + as + doing sth) Are you prepared to go on record as supporting the council on this issue? be on record (often + as + doing sth) Both doctors are on record as saying the drug triais werean unqualified success X- it stands to reason if it stands to reason that something happens or is true, it is what you would expect (often + that) It stands to reason that a child that is constantly criticized will grow up to have no selt-conttdence off-the-record • (always before noun) It's not a good idea to make these off-therecordremarks too often OPPOSITE on the record • None of the company directors were prepared to comment on the recordyesterday Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this 322 red a women-only committee was like a red rag to a bull roll out the red carpet red red eye American, informal cheap whiskey (= strong alcoholic drink) • The man was leaning against the wall, swiggingfrom a bottle of red eye a red eye American, informal a flight that leaves late at night and arrives early the next morning Wetook the red eyefrom Seattle to New York red-eye· (always before noun) There's a red-eye flight to Los Angeles leaving at lOpm to give an important person a special welcome • The red carpet was rolled out for the President's visit the red-carpet treatment • She was given the red-carpet treatment in Japan where her books are extremely popular see red -'5//:: to become very angry When he laughed in myface, Ijust saw red red-blooded red-blooded a red-bloodedman has a lot of energy and enjoys sex very much > He's a normal, red-blooded male - of course he wants to sleep with you! red-handed catch sb red-handed not a red cent American, informal no money at all f!::J A cent is the smallest coin in value in American money and is worth very little.• I did all that work for them and they didn't pay me a red cent! • It turns out his paintings aren't worth a red cent "-.' a red herring -'\ something that takes people's attention away from the main subject being talked or written about- About halfway through the book it looked as though the butler was the murderer, but that turned out to be a red herring V be in the red /'- to owe money to a bank f!::J Accountants (= people who keep records of money) often write amounts of money that are owed in red ink • Many of the students were in the red at the end of their first year be like a red rag to a bull if a statement or an action is like a red rag to a bull, it makes someone very angry f!::J Some people believe that bulls become very angry when they see the colour red.• For Claire, the suggestion of ~ to discover someone doing something illegal or wrong • (often + doing sth) I caught him red-handed trying to break into my car red-hot red-hot informal very exciting or successful • British athletes are red-hot at the moment • Their divorce is the red-hot story in this morning's press red-letter a red-letter day a day that is very important or very special The day our daughter was born was a real red-letterdayfor us red-light the red-light district _ -> (often + between) Congress has tightened regulations to slow down the revolving door between government and industry Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this 324 rhyme rhyme ride no rhyme or reason a bumpy/rough ride if there is no rhyme or reason why something happens, there is no obvious explanation for it • I don't know what makes her behave like that There's no rhyme or reason to it without rhyme or reason • Changes have been made to the text without rhyme or reason come/go along for the ride ribs stick to your ribs if something that you eat sticks to your ribs, it makes you feel you have eaten a lot That chocolatepudding really sticks toyour ribs rich a rich seam formal a subject which provides a lot of opportunities for people to discuss, write about or make jokes about > (often + of) Both wars have provided a rich seam of drama for playwrights and novelists alike • His second novel mines the same rich seam of mother-son relations filthy/stinking rich informal extremely rich » Most of us are stinking rich compared to the average citizen in the Third World • Palm Beach has the highest concentration of filthy richfolk in the world to join in an activity without playing an important part in it • My husband is speaking at the dinner and I'm just going alongfor the ride let sth ride to not take action to change something wrong or unpleasant Don't panic about low sales Let it ridefor a while till we see if business picks up take sbfor a ride to suddenly become rich • He struck it rich in the oil business That's (a bit) rich! ~ something that you say when someone criticizes you to show that you not think they are being fair because they are as bad as you s I'm greedy? That's a bit rich, coming from you! riddles X" to talk in a way that is difficult to understand Ib A riddle is a difficult and confusing description of something • She keeps talking in riddles, instead of just coming out and saying what she means ./ I don't drink wine when I'm at home but on holiday, well, when in Rome roots with their current hit and the audience raised the roof roof tops shout sth from the rooftops if you say you want to shout some news from the rooftops, you mean that you want to tell everyone about it because you are so excited • When I discovered I was pregnant, I wanted to shout it from the roof tops room not room to swing a cat informal if there is not room to swing a cat in a place, that place is very small • There isn't room to swing a cat in the third room, it's so tiny.• Get a sofa in the living room? You'll be lucky - there isn't room to swing a cat in there roost rule the roost to be the most powerful person who makes all the decisions in a group • It was my mother who ruled the roost at home root root and branchformal if something is changed or removed root and branch, it is changed or removed completely because it is bad • Racism roof must be eliminated, root and branch a roof over your head somewhere to live We didn't have any root-and-branchformal (always before noun) These proposals amount to a root- money, but at least we had a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs and-branch reform of the system X the roof caves/falls in American if the roof caves in, something very bad suddenly happens to you For thefirst six take root if an idea, belief, or system takes root somewhere, it starts to be accepted or established there • Democracy is now years of my life I was happy Then my father died and the roof caved in struggling to take root in most of these countries go through the roof X:: if the level of something, especially a price, goes through the roof, it increases very quickly' As a result of the war, oil prices have gone through the roof raise the roof to make a loud noise by shouting, clapping or singing Theyfinished the set roots X put down roots if you put down roots in a place, you things which show that you want to stay there, for example making friends or buying a home It would be hard to leave Brighton after eleven years - he's put down roots there Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this 330 rope rot rope give sb enough rope (to hang the rot sets in \:~ I'~ themselves) to allow someone to what they want to, knowing that they will probably fail or get into trouble • I let him speak on, knowing that he would offend the director, and gave him just enough rope Go pi ss up a rope! American, taboo if the rot sets in, a situation starts to get worse • If couples stop communicating, that's when the rot really sets in stop the rot to something to prevent a situation from continuing to get worse The team had been suffering low morale before Smith was brought in to stop the rot a very impolite way of telling someone to go away Oh go piss up a rope! I'm sick of rotten your complaining be rotten to the core ropes be on the ropes mainly American )( to be doing badly and likely to fail » His political career is on the ropes is rotten to the core spoil sb rotten show sb the ropes to explain to someone how to a job or activity The new secretary started today so I spent most of the morning y( if a person or an organization is rotten to the core, it behaves in a way that is not honest or moral The whole legal system showing her the ropes know the ropes She's been in this job long enough to know the ropes rose-coloured rose-coloured glasses British & Australian rose-colored glasses American & Australlan rose-coloured spectacles British if someone thinks about or looks at something with rose-coloured glasses, they think it is more pleasant than it really is • She's nostalgic for a past that she sees through rose-coloredglasses roses put the roses in sb's cheeks bring the roses to sb's cheeks to make someone look healthy A brisk walk will soon put the roses back in your cheeks to whatever someone wants you to or to give them anything they want My husband spoils me rotten Look at all this jewellery he's given me • Those children are spoiled rotten by their grandparents rough rough and ready if you something in a rough and ready way, you it quickly and without preparing it carefully I've done a rough and ready translation of the instructions I hope it's clear enough not very polite or well educated Just a warning about the men who uiork for him, they're a bit rough and ready rough edges if a piece of work or a performance has rough edges, some parts of it are not of very goodquality He's a great footballer; but his game still has afeui rough edges if a person has rough edges, they not always behave well and politely I knew him before he was successful, and he had a lot of rough edges back then rough it rose-tinted rose-tinted glasses British, American & Australlan , / rose-tinted spectacles British )( if someone looks at something through rose-tinted glasses, they see only the pleasant parts of it • She has always looked at life through rose-tinted glasses to live in a way that is simple and not very comfortable They prefer to rough it on their travels, and sleep in the car or take a tent rough justice "7 .A a punishment that is not fair or is too severe • New evidence suggests that the girls were given rough justice Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this rub 331 rough trade very informal rounds men who have sex with other men for money and wholookas if they comefrom a low social class He went to the docks to pick up a bit of rough trade a rough diamond British & Australian a diamond in the rough American & Australian a person who doesnot seem very polite or well educated at first, although they have a goodcharacter Mitchell may have been a rough diamond, but he was absolutely loyal to his employer the rough and tumble of sth the part of an activity that involves fighting or competing • He enjoys the rough and tumble of politics rough-and-tumble • (always before noun) He is used to life in the rough-andtumble airline industry cut up rough British, old-fashioned to become very angry' (often + about) Dad cut up rough about me staying out all night the rounds British & Australian make the rounds American & Australian if you the rounds of people, organizations, or places, you visit or telephone them all • (usually + of) Tony and I made the rounds of the cheap bars in the city.• I've done the rounds of all the agents, but nobody has any tickets left roving a roving eye humorous if someone has a roving eye, they are sexually attracted to people other than their partner • She left her husband becauseshe toasted up with his roving eye row a hardltough row to hoe American a diffIcult situation to deal with • Teachers have a tough row to hoe in today's schools rub give sb a rough time to treat someone severely or to cause difficulties for them' The boss gives me a rough time if I make any mistakes have a rough time (of it) • She's had a rough time of it in prison give sb the rough side of your tongue British & Australian, old-fashioned to speak angrily to someone • The boss gave me the rough side of her tongue for being late twice this week take the rough with the smooth British &Australian to accept the unpleasant parts of a situation as well as the pleasant parts • Youhave to beprepared to take the rough with the smooth in marriage roughshod ride roughshod over sth/sb to act in the way you want to, ignoring rules, traditions, or other people's wishes • They accused the government of riding roughshod over parliamentary procedure • He cannot be allowed to ride roughshod over his colleagues with his ambitious plans rub shoulders with sb British, American &Australian, informal rub elbows with sb informal American & Australian to spend time with famous people' He's Hollywood's most popular hairdresser and regularly rubs shoulders with top movie stars the rub of the green mainly British if you have the rub of the green, you have good luck, especially in a sports competition' This player hasn't had the rub of the green in the last few tournaments There's the rub old-fashioned Therein lies the rub old-fashioned something that you say when you are explaining what the difficulty is in a particular situation You can't get a job unless you have experience And there's the rub - how you get experience if you can't get a job? Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this 332 rubber rubber accused of writing more than $100,000in rubber checks topay for expensiue jeuielry: rubber-stamp rubber-stamp sth ~'if someone rubber-stamps a decision or a plan, they give it official approval, often without thinking about it enough Ib If someone official has examined a document, they often put a special mark on it using a rubber stamp (= a small printing device made of rubber) • School governors will not simply rubber-stamp what teachers have already decided.• The court was asked to rubber-stamp the Department's decision tofree the men a rubber stamp' The committee isjust a rubber stamp for thepresident's policies Rube Rube Goldberg American, informal a Rube Goldberg piece of equipment or plan is very complicated and not very practical Ib Rube Goldberg was an American who drew funny pictures for newspapers showing complicated inventions • They use a Rube Goldberg type contraption to open and close the farm gate.• The city is not well served by this Rube Goldberg scheme for economic development Rubicon \/, crossthe Rubiconformal j!c,_ to something which will have very important results, which cannot be changed later Ib Julius Caesar started a war by crossing the river Rubicon in Italy • International pressure may be able to prevent the country crossing the Rubicon to authoritarian rule rude Wehad a rude awakening when we saw the amount of our phone bill • You've been so spoiled by your parents, you are in for a rude awakening when you start to look after yourself of a situation' a rubber check American, humorous a cheque (= a piece of paper from someone's bank that they sign and use for money) that is not worth anything because the person does not have enough money in the bank • The woman was ruffled smooth (sb's) ruffled feathers to try to make someone feel less angry or upset, especially after an argument • I spent the afternoon smoothing ruffled feathers and trying to convince people to give the talks another chance rug cut a rug old-fashioned to dance • Twenty disco classics on one CD.Now there's music to cut a rug to pull the rug from under sb/sth pull the rug from under sb's feet to suddenly take away help or support from someone, or to suddenly something which causes many problems for them The school pulled the rug from under the basketball team by making them pay to practise in the school gymnasium ruin go to rack/wrack and ruin old-fashioned if a building goes to rack and ruin, its condition becomes very bad because no one is taking care of it • She's let that house go to rack and ruin since Clive died rule " ;X a rule of thumb a way of calculating something which is not exact but which will help you to be correct enough Ib A rule of thumb was originally a way of measuring using the width or length of your thumb • A good rule of thumb is to cook two handfuls of riceper person rules V a rude awakening ,t" if you have a rude awakening, you have a severe shock when you discover the truth Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this 333 rum a rum British, old-fashioned if a situation is a rum do,it is strange and people often not approve of it • All three of his ex-wives still live with him It's a rum if you ask me rumpy-pumpy rumpy-pumpy British & Australian, humorous sexual activity • So I asked her if she fancied a bit of rumpy-pumpy run run and run mainly British if a subject or an argument is going to run and run, people will continue to be interested in it for a long time' We'vehad over 500 letters on the subject of human cloning It looks like this one will run and run run before you can walk >( to try to something complicated and difficult before you have learned the basic skills you need to attempt it • I think you should stick to a simple menu for your dinner party There's no point trying to run before you can walk run out of steam British, informal )(' run out of gas American & Australian, informal to suddenly lose the energy or interest to continue doing what you are doing • She'd been talking for two hours and was just starting to run out of steam.• I worked really well for two months of the project then I suddenly ran out of gas a dry run British, American & Australian a dummy run British & Australian X an occasion when you practise doing something to make sure there will be no problems when you really it • We decided to a dry run at the church the day before the wedding • We'd better have runes a couple of dummy runs before we the real thing give sb a run for their money to compete very strongly against someone who is expected to win a competition' I think only Liverpool will be able to give Manchester United a run for their money next season have sb on the run to be in a strong position to defeat someone • After iast night's broadcast debate, he has the opposition candidate on the run have a good run for your money to have a long period of success or enjoyment I've achieved a lot in my life and Ifeel I've had a good runfor my money have the run of swh to be allowed to go anywhere in an area • The children had the run of thefarm all week make a run for it to suddenly run fast in order to escape from somewhere or get to somewhere • When the guard turned away, the two prisoners made a run for it.• Let's make a run for it as soon as the rain lets up a bit runaround give sbthe runaround informal to act in a way which makes it difficult for someone to something, for example by refusing to tell them things they need to know • I'm trying to get a visa, but the embassy staff keep giving me the runaround get the runaround informal Every time I phone to complain, I keep getting the runaround runes read the runes British,formal to try to guess what is going to happen in the future by examining what is Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this rung 334 happening now tb Runes are letters of an ancient alphabet with secret or magic meaning • He was the first Eastern European leader to read the runes and make political changes to stay in power rung the [first/highest/next etc.] rung on the ladder the flrst, highest, next etc position, especially in society or in a job' In our society,a nurse is hardly on the same rung of the ladder as ajudge • President of the Union at Oxford University was the first rung on thepolitical ladderfor him running a running battle if you have a running battle with someone, you have an argument that continues over a long period of time • (often + with) I've had a running battle with the neighbours over their kids throwing stones over thefence be in the running if you are in the running for something, you are in a good position to win it or achieve it (often + for) This film must be in the running for a Best Picture Oscar out of the running' Herpoor health has put her out of the running for the election be running on empty informal to continue to work and be active when you have no energy left • I get the impression he's been running on emptyfor months now A holiday will him good American & Australian if a person or an organization is running on empty, they have no new ideas or are not as effective as they were before • The fund-raising campaign was running on empty after ten years under the same leader do/make (all) the running British to be the person who causes things to happen and develop' Men are no longer expected to all the running at the beginning of a relationship • If we want this campaign to be a success, it's up to us to make the running (Go) take a running jump! informal an impolite way of telling someone to go away or that you will not give them something they want • 'Jim wants to borrow your new CD.' 'Tell him to take a running jump ' run-of-the-mill rush a (sudden) rush of blood (to the head) if you have a rush of blood to the head, you suddenly feel very excited or very angry, and or say something silly • Thomson was sent off for head-butting Gray in a rush of blood to the head Russian play Russianroulette Y to take big risks, in a way which is very dangerous tb Russian roulette is a very dangerous game where players aim a gun containing one bullet at their own heads • (often + with) I'm not willing to play Russian roulette with people's lives by drinking and driving rut be (stuck) in a rut X to the same things all the time so that you become bored, or to be in a situation where it is impossible to make progress • At forty my life was in a rut, so I gave up work and travelled to India • It's clear the economy is still stuck in a rut get in/into a rut • When you have to cook dinner every night it's easy toget into a rut [drag/get/lift etc.] sb/ sth out of attheir rut to help someone or something to change their situation and to make progress • The president has to get his election campaign out of a rut Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this ... was once the raison d''etre of the festival but it has now been replacedby comedyand cabaretshows rake-off a rake-off informal a share of the profits of something, often taken in a way that is... society He went off the rails in his twenties and started lioing on the streets • By the law of probabilities if you have five kids, one of them''s going togo off the rails Please purchase PDF Split-Merge... you disagree with a Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove thi rat-arsed 319 group of which you are a member· (often + with) Junior officers were said to be bad that has