ring off the hook
To be extremely busy with phone calls or requests
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ring one's bell
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
ring true
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
ring up
to charge someone for a purchase
ringdropping
Is a pursuit to which London "magsmen" and "street-muggers" are prone. A ring or other spurious article is supposed to be found just in front of a "soft-looking party," and he or she is tempted to buy it at less than half its supposed value.
ringing the changes
Properly, producing continual changes on a set of bells without repetition, changes being variations— accord- ing to certain rules— from the regular striking order.
ringing the hallowed bell
Consecrated bells were believed to be able to disperse storms and pestilence, drive away devils (see PASSING BELL, above}, and extinguish fire.
ringside seat
A close or privileged view of an event or situation
rip
A miserable rip; a poor, lean, worn-out horse. A shabby mean fellow.
rip
A rake, "an old RIP," an old libertine, or a debauchee. Corruption of REPROBATE.
rip ass
To fart.
rip into
to criticize or attack someone or something strongly
rip it up
completely change or cancel something
rip off
To pull off by ripping.
rip off the band-aid
To do something unpleasant quickly to get it over with
rip off the bandage
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
rip someone's head off
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
rip to shreds
To completely destroy or criticize something
rip-snorting mad
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
ripe for the picking
Easily achieved or obtained with little effort
ripe for the plucking
Ready to be taken advantage of or exploited
ripe old age
A very advanced age, typically characterized by good health and longevity.
ripen up
to become more mature or developed
ripon steel
Ripon used to be famous for its steel spurs, which were the best in the world. The spikes of a Ripon spur would strike through a shilling-piece without turning the point.
ripper
A first-rate man or article.—Provincial.
ripping
Excellent.
ripping
Excellent, very good. Equivalent to "stunning."
rippons
Spurs: Rippon is famous for a manufactory of spurs both for men and fighting cocks.
ripshit
Enraged or otherwise highly emotional.
rise
"to take a RISE out of a person." A metaphor from fly-fishing, the silly fish RISING to be caught by an artificial fly; to mortify, outwit, or cheat him, by superior cunning.
rise a barney
To collect a mob; term used by patterers and "schwassle-box" (Punch and Judy) men.
rise and fall
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.
rise and shine
wake up and start the day
rise from the ashes
To recover or become successful again after a difficult situation
rise in something
increase in amount or level
rise to the challenge
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
rise to the occasion
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
rise to the purple
to achieve great success or prominence
rise up
to stand up or rebel against something
rise with the lark
Wake up early in the morning
risen from the ranks
Said of a com- missioned officer in the army who formerly worked his way up from private soldier — from the ranks. Often called a ranker. Hence applied to a self-made man in any walk of life.
risk creep
Gradual and unintended increase in risk or exposure
risk it for the biscuit
Take a chance to achieve something desirable
rivet counter
A person who focuses on small, precise details
rizzy
Having or relating to rizz; charming, affectionate, seductive.
roach coach
A mobile food vendor, often serving simple or unappetizing food
road hog
A driver who takes up too much space on the road.
road less traveled
A path or choice that is unconventional or not often taken
road pizza
roadkill
road to Damascus
A moment of sudden conversion or change in belief
Roan Barbary
The favourite horse of Richard II. When Bolingbroke rode on Roan Barbary That horse that thou so often hast bestrid.
roar back
to return or respond strongly
roar on
to continue or increase in loudness or intensity
roaratorios and uproars
Oratorios and operas.
roarer
A broken-winded horse.
roarer
A broken-winded horse; or, in the more polite speech of the stable, "a high blower." ROARING, as applied to horses, is often termed "talking" by turf-men. It is often said delicately by sporting writers, when speaking of a broken-winded racehorse, that "he makes a noise."
roaring boy
A noisy, riotous fellow.
roaring boys
The riotous blades of Ben Jonson's time, whose delight it was to annoy quiet folk. At one time their pranks in London were carried to an alarming extent.
Roaring Meg
Formerly any large gun that made a great noise when let off was so called, as Mons Meg herself and a cannon given by the Fishmongers of London, and used m 1689. Burton says: "Music is a roaring Meg against melancholy.
roaring trade
A very successful business.—Shopkeepers’ Slang.
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