[rein] See: FREE REIN, GIVE REIN TO or GIVE FREE REIN TO.

[relation] See: IN RELATION TO or WITH RELATION TO.

[relative to] 1. On the subject of; about. •/Relative to school athletics, the principal said the students should not allow athletics to interfere with homework./ 2. In comparison with; in proportion to. •/Relative to the size of an ant, a blade of grass is as tall as a tree./

[repeat oneself]{v. phr.} To say the same thing over again, often in the same words; repeat ideas because you forget what you said or because you want to stress their importance. •/Grandfather is forgetful and often repeats himself when he tells a story./ •/A teacher often has to repeat herself several times before her pupils remember what she tells them./

[resign oneself]{v. phr.} To stop arguing; accept something which cannot be changed. •/When Jane’s father explained that he could not afford to buy her a new bicycle, she finally resigned herself to riding the old one./ Compare: GIVE UP.

[resistance] See: LINE OF LEAST RESISTANCE.

[rest] See: LAY TO REST, PARADE REST.

[rest assured]{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./

[ride roughshod over]{v. phr.} To do as you wish without considering the wishes of (another person); treat with scorn or lack of courtesy; show no sympathy for. •/The city officials rode roughshod over the people who did not want their homes torn down for a new school./ •/The boss rode roughshod over the men when they asked for higher wages./

[ride the brake] or [ride the clutch] {v. phr.}, {informal} To keep your foot on the pedal. •/Riding the brake is a bad habit for a driver to form./

[ride the gravy train]{v. phr.} To live a life of plenty and luxury. •/Those who have a wealthy executive or heir to a fortune for a spouse can ride the gravy train without doing any work./

[ride up] or [crawl up] {v.} To slip gradually upward on the body. •/Shorts that ride up can be very uncomfortable./

[riding for a fall]{adj. phr.} Behaving in an overconfident way that is likely to lead to trouble; being too sure of yourself; doing something dangerous. •/The student who does not study for exams is riding for a fall./ •/Mr. Smith has borrowed too much money on his home. He is riding for a fall./ Compare: COME A CROPPER(2).

[riding high]{adj.} Attracting attention; enjoying great popularity. •/After scoring the winning touchdown, John is riding high with his classmates./

[rid of] Free of; away from; without the care or trouble. •/The puppy is finally rid of worms./ •/If I could be rid of the children for the day, I would go./ •/I wish you’d get rid of that cat!/ Compare: DO AWAY WITH, THROW AWAY(1), THROW OFF(1).

[right] See: ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT FOR YOU, DEAD TO RIGHTS, GIVE ONE’S RIGHT ARM, HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE, IN THE RIGHT, PLAY ONE’S CARDS RIGHT, PUT TO RIGHTS or SET TO RIGHTS, SERVE RIGHT, TO RIGHTS.

[right along]{adv. phr.}, {informal} 1a. On your way satisfactorily or without trouble. •/They fixed the engine and the train ran right along./ 1b. On your way without delay. •/Don’t wait for me. Go right along./ 2. See: ALL ALONG.

[right and left]{adv. phr.} In or from every direction; all around; on all sides. •/The knight rode into battle striking at the enemy right and left with his broadsword./ •/When the talk ended, questions were thrown at the speaker right and left./

[right away] or {informal} [right off] also {informal} [right off the bat] {adv. phr.} Immediately; as the next thing in order; without delay. •/Phil’s mother told him to do his homework right away so that he could enjoy the weekend./ •/The Red Cross aids disaster victims right away./ •/Jill knew the answer right off./ •/The teacher said he could not think of the title of the book right off the bat./ Syn.: AT ONCE(2). Compare: HERE AND NOW, ON THE SPOT. Contrast: AFTER A WHILE.

[right down] or [up one’s alley] {adv. phr.} In accordance with one’s specialty or predilection. •/This kind of preclassical music is right up Bill’s alley; after all, he wrote his Ph.D. on Bach./