A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

Red Indian 
(Indian red)
red-leg
(red-foot)
red light fever 
(red fever)
red money 
(pink money)
red route 
(all-red route)
red state 
(purple state)
red tape 
(red ribbon)
red wine 
(red liquor)
reek with something
(reek of some-
thing )
reflect on something
(be reflected in
something )
regain one’s senses
(come to one’s senses)
reinvent the wheel 
(reinvent the flat
tire)
relate to someone 
(be related to some-
one)
relieve oneself 
(relieve one’s feelings)
relieve someone of something
(relieve
someone from something )
remand home
(remand center)
remark something 
(remark on some-
thing )
remember to do something
(remember
doing something )
render an account of something
(ren-
der an account for something )
render something up to someone
(render something to someone)
rental collection
(rent collection)
repay in kind
(pay in kind)
report on something
(report of some-
thing )
reproach someone with something
(reproach someone for something )
Republic of Congo, the 
(Democratic
Republic of the Congo, the)
rest house 
(rest home)
rest in peace
(be left in peace)
rest room 
(US) (rest room [UK])
rest with someone
(rest on someone)
restricted area 
(no-go area)
retire from the world
(depart out of this
world)
retire into oneself 
(keep to oneself )
revenge someone 
(revenge oneself on
someone)
Revised Version, the
(Revised Standard
Version, the)
Richard Roe
( John Doe)
ride high on the hog 
(ride high)
ride on the sheep’s back 
(ride on the
pig’s back)
ride over something
(override some-
thing )
ride tall
(ride high)
Phrase Index
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366 –

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ride the cotton pony 
(ride Shank’s
pony)
ride the high horse 
(ride high in the
saddle)
ride the rails 
(ride someone on a rail)
ride the white horse
(ride a white
horse)
rifle range
(range of a rifle)
right Charlie 
(Mr. Right)
right guy 
(all right guy)
right-handed
(right-hand)
right-handed man 
(right-hand man)
right on the nail 
(right as nails)
ring bells
(ring alarm bells)
ring down the curtain on something
(draw the curtain over something )
ring one’s own bell 
(hoe one’s own row)
ring someone’s bell
(ring one’s bell)
ring the bell
(ring a bell)
risk money 
(risk capital)
ritualistic act
(ritual act)
river people 
(boat people)
road show
(get the show on the road)
roll out the red carpet for someone
(call someone on the carpet)
rolling stone 
(set a stone rolling )
Roman Empire, the
(Holy Roman
Empire, the)
root for something 
(root about for
something )
rope someone into something 
(tie
someone down to something )
rose bed 
(bed of roses)
roses round the door
(roses, roses all
the way)
rosy about the gills 
(red in the gills)
rot off
(rot away)
rotten egg
(rotten apple)
rough it 
(rough it out)
rough it in the bush 
(have a rough
time)
rough it up 
(rough it out)
round the corner 
(round the bend)
roundabout 
(round about)
row with both oars 
(burn the candle at
both ends)
rub someone’s nose in something 
(rub
noses with someone)
rule something out 
(rule something
off )
rule the roost 
(be the cock in the hen-
house)
run around in circles 
(run around)
run ashore
(go ashore)
run ashore, a 
(go ashore)
run circles around someone
(go
around someone)
run down
(give someone a run-down)
run dry
(go dry)
run for it 
(go for it)
run head to head 
(go head to head)
run in someone’s blood 
(be in some-
one’s blood)
run it 
(come it)
run it down to someone
(give someone
a run-down)
run like a clock 
(run like a deer)
run like a hairy goat 
(run like a deer)
run like wild-fire
(run like a deer)
run low
(run high)
run off with someone
(run away with
someone)
run one’s head into a brick wall 
(come
up against a brick wall)
run one’s head into a stone wall 
(run
into a stone wall)
run out of fortune 
(come into a fortune)
run out of gas 
(have a gas)
run out of one’s skin
(jump out of one’s
skin)
run out of something
(come out of
something )
run out on something 
(run out at
something )
run out the clock 
(run out of time)
run over something
(overrun some-
thing )
run short of something 
(come short of
something )
run someone down 
(give someone a
run-down)
run someone over 
(overrun someone)
run someone round in circles
(run
someone round)
run someone through 
(give someone a
run-through)
run someone to ground
(run someone
into the ground)
run something aground
(run something
into the ground)
run something through
(gallop through
something )
run something to ground 
(run some-
thing into the ground)
run something up 
(run something
down)
run the girls 
(run after girls)
run through something 
(gallop
through something )
run up against someone
(come up
against someone)
run wild
(go wild)
run with the hare and hunt with the
hounds 
(run after two hares)
running fits 
(running fit)
runup to something 
(run up to some-
thing )
Russian egg
(Russian Easter egg )
rust bucket
(rust bowl)
sacred cow
(holy cow)
Sad Palm Sunday
(Palm Sunday)
safe from something (safe against
something )
safety belt
(protective belt)
safety officer
(safety man)
sail in the same boat
(be in the same
boat)
sailplane
(sea plane)
Saint Elmo’s fire
(Saint Anthony’s fire)
Saint George’s cross, the
(George
Cross, the)
Saint Helens 
(Saint Helena)
Saint John’s 
(Saint John)
Saint Johns 
(Saint John)
Salt Lake State, the
(Lake State, the)
same as ever
(same again)
San Fairy Ann
(Sally Ann)
San José 
(San Jose)
sandwich man 
(sandwich girl)
sardine tin 
(sardine box)
satisfied with something
(satisfied of
something )
sausage dog
(hot dog )
save one’s breath 
(hold one’s breath)
save one’s face
(keep one’s face)
save one’s skin
(escape with a whole
skin)
save someone something 
(save someone
from something )
say a lot for something 
(say a lot about
something )
say cheese 
(cheese it)
say no more 
(don’t tell me)
say one’s last word 
(have the last word)
say something with confidence 
(say
something in confidence)
scarlet fever 
(red fever)
scarlet woman
(Scarlet Woman, the)
school council
(school board)
scientific project 
(science project)
scorch the earth 
(burn the earth)
scrap paper
(scrap of paper)
scratch something out 
(scratch some-
thing off )
screening test
(screen test)
screw someone up 
(put the screws to
someone)
scrub something out
(scrub something
off )
sea-borne plane
(sea plane)
sea girl 
(sea boy)
see green in someone’s eye 
(be green-
eyed)
sea-horse 
(river-horse)
seal something up
(seal something off )
seaman 
(water boatman)
search someone 
(search for someone)
seasonal clothing 
(seasonable clothing )
second time, the
(second time, a)
see eye to eye
(be eyeball to eyeball)
see in a mirror, dimly 
(look on the
bright side of something )
see life whole 
(see life)
see one’s name in print 
(keep one’s
name on the books)
see over something
(oversee something )
see snakes 
(see a wolf )
see someone out 
(see someone off )
see someone up
(look someone up)
see something in black and white
(be
written in black and white)
see something out
(look something out)
see the back of someone 
(turn one’s
back on someone)
see the color of someone’s money
(not
like the color of someone’s money)
see the elephant 
(see a pink elephant )
see the last of something
(look one’s
last on something )
see the light at the end of the tunnel
(see the light)
see the light of day 
(see the light)
see the lions
(see a wolf )
see the red light
(see red)
see through rose-coloured glasses 
(see
through a glass darkly)
– 367 –
Phrase Index

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see through someone
(see someone
through)
see through something
(see something
through)
see to something 
(see into something )
see you in the soup 
(be in the soup)