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Right off the bat
The idiom right off the bat means immediately, without delay, or at the very beginning of something. It is used when something happens as soon as an activity starts.The expression comes from baseball. When a ball is hit directly by the bat and flies off right away, it happens instantly, which led to the phrase being used for anything that happens immediately.
Right off the bat, the new teacher impressed everyone in the class.
Right on target
Right on target means that something is exactly correct or very accurate. It is used when a guess, idea, or answer is perfectly right.The expression comes from shooting or archery, where hitting the center of a target means you aimed perfectly. The idiom uses this image to describe something that is very precise.
Her prediction about the final profit was right on target.
Right up your alley
Right up your alley means something that is perfectly suited to a person's interests, skills, or tastes.The expression comes from bowling. In bowling, the ball rolls down a long narrow lane called an alley, so something that goes right up your alley fits exactly where it should.
If you like puzzles and mysteries, this book will be right up your alley.
Ring a bell
If something rings a bell it means it reminds someone of something they have heard before, but they cannot fully remember it.The expression comes from the sound of a bell that attracts attention and triggers recognition. Hearing the bell is like the moment when a memory starts to return.
That name rings a bell, but I cannot remember where I heard it before.
Rinse and repeat
The phrase to rinse and repeat means to do something repetitive, predictable way. It comes from the instructions on a shampoo bottle.You look up the code, put it in the right place, and then rinse and repeat for the rest of the papers.
Roll out the red carpet
To roll out the red carpet means to give someone a very warm and special welcome. It is used when people go out of their way to treat a guest with great respect or attention.The expression comes from the practice of laying a red carpet for important visitors such as royalty or heads of state. The bright carpet marked a special path and showed that the guest was being honored.
The town rolled out the red carpet when the championship team came home.
Roll with the punches
To roll with the punches means to handle difficulties calmly and adapt instead of fighting them. A person who rolls with the punches accepts that problems happen and keeps going without getting upset or stuck.The phrase comes from boxing. A boxer can lessen the impact of a punch by moving with it rather than taking the full force directly.
The travel plans kept changing, but she decided to roll with the punches and enjoy the trip anyway.
Rome wasn't built in a day
Rome wasn't built in a day means that large projects take a lot of time, effort, and patience to achieve and you shouldn't expect quick results.This idiom relates to how the city of Rome gradually developed over centuries.
Don't worry that this is taking so long, Rome wasn't built in a day.
Rub your nose in it
To rub someone's nose in it means to keep reminding someone about a mistake or embarrassing situation in a way that makes them feel worse. Instead of letting the matter go, the person keeps pointing it out again and again.The phrase comes from an old method sometimes used when training animals, where their nose was pushed toward something they had done wrong. Over time it became a metaphor for deliberately making someone dwell on their mistake.
I know I lost the game, but you do not have to rub my nose in it every time we talk about it.
Rug pulled out from under you
To have the rug pulled out from under you means to suddenly lose something you were relying on. When it is unexpectedly taken away, it leaves you surprised or struggling to recover.The phrase comes from the image of someone standing on a rug that is suddenly yanked away, causing them to fall. It began appearing in English in the late 1800s and is used as a metaphor for sudden, destabilizing change.
Just when she thought the promotion was certain, the company restructured and had the rug pulled out from under her.