[rough] See: DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.
[rough-and-ready]{adj.} 1. Not finished in detail; not perfected; rough but ready for use now. •/We asked Mr. Brown how long it would take to drive to Chicago and his rough-and-ready answer was two days./ 2. Not having nice manners but full of energy and ability. •/Jim is a rough-and-ready character; he’d rather fight than talk things over./
[rough-and-tumble] 1. {n.} Very rough, hard fighting or arguing that does not follow any rules. •/There was a rough-and-tumble on the street last night between some soldiers and sailors./ •/Many people don’t like the rough-and-tumble of politics./ 2. {adj.} Fighting or arguing in a very rough and reckless way; struggling hard; not following rules or laws. •/It took strong men to stay alive in the rough-and-tumble life of the western frontier./
[rough diamond] See: DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.
[roughhouse]{n.} Riotous play or commotion. •/? told the boys they can play in the attic if there is no roughhouse./
[roughhouse]{v.} To play very wildly; be running around as young boys usually do. •/"Stop roughhousing this minute," Grandma cried. "Your father will be home soon."/
[rough it]{v. phr.} To live like primitive people; live with little of the comfort and equipment of civilization. •/Scouts like to rough it in the woods on weekend hikes./
[roughneck]{n.} A low, coarse fellow. •/The only boys in the neighborhood are a bunch of roughnecks, and Mrs. Smith is unhappy about the fact that her son is rapidly becoming one of them./
[rough-shod] See: RIDE ROUGH-SHOD OVER.
[rough sledding] See: HARD SLEDDING.
[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./
[run a tight ship]{v. phr.} To run an organization with a firm hand, with strict rules and regulations. •/Our dean of the college runs a very tight ship; he tolerates no mistakes./
[run away] or [run off] {v.} To leave and not plan to come back; go without permission; escape. •/Many times Tommy said he would run away from home, but he never did./ •/The guards in jail make sure that none of the prisoners run away./ Compare: GET AWAY.
