Showing 24 of 3,697 lessons.
red herring
A distraction from the main issue
“That argument is A RED HERRING”
red tape
Official rules and processes that seem unnecessary and delay results
“We have to cut through a lot of RED TAPE”
ride out the storm
To endure a difficult situation
“We'll RIDE OUT THE STORM”
right under your nose
In an obvious place but overlooked
“It was RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE”
ring a bell
To sound familiar; to seem familiar but you can't quite place it
“The name RINGS A BELL but I can't place it”
rip off
To cheat or overcharge someone
“They really RIPPED US OFF on that deal”
rocket science
Something very complicated
“It's not ROCKET SCIENCE, just follow the steps”
roll out the red carpet
To give a guest special treatment or a very warm welcome
“They ROLLED OUT THE RED CARPET for the celebrities”
Rome wasn't built in a day
Important work takes time; you can't expect to do great things quickly
“Be patient - ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY”
rule of thumb
A general rule or principle that is usually true but not always
“As a RULE OF THUMB, leave early for meetings.”
run out of steam
To lose energy or enthusiasm
“The project RAN OUT OF STEAM”
run with the ball
To take initiative and continue with a task or idea
“She RAN WITH THE BALL on that project”
sacred cow
Something that cannot be criticized
“Social Security is A SACRED COW in politics”
safe and sound
Completely safe and without injury or harm
“The package arrived SAFE AND SOUND.”
school of hard knocks
Learning through life's tough experiences rather than formal education
“He learned in the SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS”
scream blue murder
To show your anger about something, especially by shouting or complaining very loudly
“He'll SCREAM BLUE MURDER if he finds out”
see eye to eye
To agree with someone; to have the same opinion
“We don't always SEE EYE TO EYE on everything”
see red
To become very angry
“When I saw what he'd done, I SAW RED”
see someone's true colours
To see someone's real character for the first time, especially when it is unpleasant
“Finally, we SAW HIS TRUE COLOURS”
see the colour of someone's money
To make certain that a person is going to pay for something
“Let me SEE THE COLOUR OF YOUR MONEY first.”
sell like hotcakes
To sell very quickly and in large quantities
“The new phones are SELLING LIKE HOTCAKES”
shades of grey
The fact of it not being clear in a situation what is right and wrong
“There are SHADES OF GREY in every issue”
shake in your boots
To be very frightened
“He was SHAKING IN HIS BOOTS during the interview”
she's a doll
Someone who is very kind and helpful
“She's A DOLL for helping us.”