[railroad]{v.} To force through; push through by force. •/The billwas railroaded through the state legislature due to the influence of some verywealthy sponsors./

[rain] See: IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS, KNOW ENOUGH TO COME IN OUT OF THERAIN.

[rain cats and dogs] or [rain buckets] or [rain pitchforks] {v.phr.}, {informal} To rain very hard; come down in torrents. •/In themiddle of the picnic it started to rain cats and dogs, and everybody gotsoaked./ •/Terry looked out of the window and said, "It’s rainingpitchforks, so we can’t go out to play right now."/

[rain check]{n.} 1. A special free ticket to another game or showwhich will be given in place of one canceled because of rain. •/When thedrizzle turned into a heavy rain the manager announced that the baseball gamewould be replayed the next day. He told the crowd that they would be given rainchecks for tomorrow’s game as they went out through the gates./ 2.{informal} A promise to repeat an invitation at a later time. •/Bob said,"I’m sorry you can’t come to dinner this evening, Dave. I’ll give you a raincheck."/

[rained out]{adj.} Stopped by rain. •/The ball game was rained outin the seventh inning./ •/The Friday night rally in the stadium was rainedout./

[rain on]{v. phr.}, {slang} To bring misfortune to (someone); tocomplain to (someone) about one’s bad luck. •/Don’t rain on me./

[rain or shine]{adv. phr.} 1. If the weather is stormy or if it isfair. •/The parade will start promptly, rain or shine./ 2. No matter; ifyour luck is good or bad. •/Sam knows he can depend on his family, rain orshine./

[rainproof]{adj.} Resistant to rain; something that will not soak inwater; referring to a material that repels water. •/"I don’t need anumbrella," she said, "as my coat is rainproof."/

[rainy day]{n.} A time of need; especially: a time when you reallyneed money. •/Squirrels gather acorns for a rainy day./ •/Each week Mrs.Carlson saved a little money for a rainy day./

[raise a hand] See: LIFT A FINGER.

[raise a row]{v. phr.} To cause a disturbance, a fuss, or a scene.•/He raised quite a row when he noticed that someone had scratched his brandnew car./

[raise a stink]{v. phr.} To cause a disturbance; complain; proteststrongly. •/Quite a stink was raised in the office when the boss discoveredthat several employees had left early./

[raise Cain]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be noisy; cause trouble.•/When John couldn’t go on the basketball trip with the team he raisedCain./ •/The children raised Cain in the living room./ Compare: KICK UP AFUSS, RAISE THE DEVIL.

[raise eyebrows]{v. phr.} To shock people; cause surprise ordisapproval. •/The news that the princess was engaged to a commoner raisedeyebrows all over the kingdom./

[raise funds] or [money] {v. phr.} To solicit donations for acharity or a specific project. •/Our church is trying to raise the funds fora new organ./

[raise hackles] or [raise one’s hackles] {v. phr.} To make(someone) upset or annoyed; arouse hostility. •/Attempts to add newingredients to the beer raised hackles among all the old brew masters./

[raise havoc] See: PLAY HAVOC WITH.

[raise heck] See: RAISE THE DEVIL.

[raise hob] See: RAISE THE DEVIL.

[raise one’s sights]{v. phr.} To aim high; be ambitious. •/Teenageboys sometimes think too much of themselves and have a tendency to raise theirsights too high./

[raise one’s voice]{v. phr.} To speak loudly, as if in anger or inprotest. •/"I’m sorry, Mom," Peter said. "I didn’t mean to raise myvoice."/

[raise the devil] or [raise heck] or [raise hob] or [raise ned]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make trouble; start a fight or an argument.•/Mr. Black raised heck when he saw the dented fender. He blamed the otherdriver./ •/Some teenage boys raised the devil in town on Halloween nightand damaged a lot of property./ Compare: KICK UP A FUSS.

[raise the roof]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To make a lot of noise;be happy and noisy. •/The gang raised the roof with their singing./ 2. Toscold loudly. •/Mother raised the roof when she saw the dog’s muddyfootprints on her new bedspread./ Compare: KICK UP A FUSS, RAISE CAIN.

[rake in]{v. phr.} To realize great profits; take in money.•/Because of the heavy snowfall, ski lodge operators in the Rocky Mountainshave been raking in the dough this winter season./

[rake off]{v. phr.} To illegally expropriate part of a sum paid.•/The secretary-treasurer of the association has been caught raking off someof the membership dues./

[rake-off] See: KICKBACK.

[rake over the coals] See: HAUL OVER THE COALS.

[rake up]{v. phr.} To expose; gather; bring to light. •/Let’s forgetabout the past; there’s no need to rake up all those old memories./

[ramble on about]{v. phr.} To chatter on idly and without a purpose.•/When Ted has too much to drink, he always rambles on about the good olddays./

[ram down one’s throat] See: SHOVE DOWN ONE’S THROAT.

[random] See: AT RANDOM.

[rank] See: CLOSE RANKS, PULL RANK.

[rank and file]{n. phr.} Ordinary people; the regular membership of anorganization; the enlisted privates in the Army. •/The general usuallyinspects the rank and file on specific national holidays./ •/The secretaryof the association sends letters annually to the rank and file./

[rap] See: TAKE THE RAP.

[rap one’s knuckles]{v. phr.} To scold or punish. •/The principalrapped our knuckles for cheating on the test./ •/If you talk back to Dad,you’ll get your knuckles rapped./ •/The club got its knuckles rapped by theprincipal for hazing new members./ •/Why rap my knuckles? It wasn’t myfault./ Compare: DRESSING DOWN, GIVE IT TO(2).

[rat] See: SMELL A RAT.

[rate] See: AT ANY RATE, FIRST RATE.

[rather] See: HAD RATHER.

[rat on] See: BLOW THE WHISTLE, RAT OUT.

[rat out] or [rat out on] {v. phr.}, {slang} To desert; toleave at a critical time. •/Joe ratted out on Sue when she was seven monthspregnant./

[rat race]{n.}, {slang} A very confusing, crowded, or disorderlyrush; a confusing scramble, struggle, or way of living that does not seem tohave a purpose. •/The dance last night was a rat race. It was too noisy andcrowded./ •/School can be a rat race if you don’t keep up with yourstudies./ •/This job is a rat race. The faster you work, the faster theboss wants you to work./

[rate with someone]{v. phr.} To be esteemed highly by another. •/Theprofessor really rates with both the graduate students and theundergraduates./

[rattle] See: SABRE RAITLING.

[rattle off] or [reel off] {v.} To say quickly without having tostop to think; recite easily and rapidly. •/When Roger was seven he couldrattle off the names of all the states in alphabetical order./ •/Joanmemorized the "Gettysburg Address" so well that she could reel it off./•/We asked the waitress what flavors of ice cream she had, and she rattledthem off./

[rattle one’s saber]{v. phr.} To threaten another government orcountry without subsequent acts of war. •/It is considered an act ofdemagoguery on the part of politicians to rattle their sabers./ Compare:YELLOW JOURNALISM.