rain day • rainy day rain day —(Meteorolog y) a day on which the recorded rainfall is not less than 0.01 inch: In July the average number of rain days is only four per month. rainy day —1. a day having much rain: West Mediterranean islands have cooled off and can have rainy days , but walking is still pleasant. 2. (in the phrase “for a rainy day”) for a time of special need in the future: We all need money set aside for a rainy day . raise dust • raise the dust raise dust—cause a cloud of dust to rise: The galloping horse raised dust out of the dried mud in the gateway to the wood. raise the dust—1. = raise dust: Whirlwinds raised the dust to a great height and moved over the plain like water spouts at sea. 2. (also: make a dust) cause turmoil; act in a noisy manner: But who raised the dust ? It seems inconceivable that it was anyone on the editorial staff. raise one’s eyes • raise one’s sights raise one’s eyes—(also: lift up one’s eyes) look upwards: When the door opened gently, he never raised his eyes — he was only conscious that someone entered the room. raise one’s sights—establish higher goals for oneself: She seemed content as a paralegal, but we thought she should raise her sights and get a law degree. rake over old coals • rake someone over the coals rake over old coals—(UK) try to bring back old problems that may cause trouble: What’s the point of raking over old coals ? Opening every wound we thought was properly healed. rake someone over the coals—(U.S.) criticize or scold a person severely: He was raked over the coals for allowing the club to become the laughing stock of professional sports. range of a rifle • rifle range range of a rifle —the maximum distance to which a rifle can fire bullets: It’s a powerful weapon but the range of this rifle is very limited. rifle range —1. a place where one can practice shooting with a rifle: There was a rifle range nearby and Major Frimley taught rifle shooting to the girls. 2. = range of a rifle: I told Richardson to ride on and attract the attention of the deer away from me while I crept up within rifle range . rat on someone • rat out on someone rat on someone—(sl.) report smb.’s wrongful activities to the police, etc.: Kent is willing to do anything to get out even rat on his fellow convicts in order to get an early parole. rat out on someone—(sl.) 1. desert or betray smb.; leave a person at a critical time: He would never rat out on his family cause underneath it all he loves them. 2. = rat on someone: He was sentenced to six years but only served eighteen months because he agreed to rat out on his drug suppliers. rat race • rat-racing rat race —1. said of a situation marked by hyperactivity and stress: I began to realize that the quality of life mattered more to me than the rat race in the office. Cf.: mouse race—(a play on “rat race”) a lower-stress lifestyle that results from moving to a smaller community or taking a less demanding job: There is a new phenomenon: “the mouse race ,” a scaled-down version of the urban rat race that has long-time residents heading for even smaller towns. 2. a fiercely competitive struggle to main- tain one’s position: A boy’s got to have guts to make his way in this rat race of a modern world. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase rat run1. a maze-like passage by which rats move about: The rat-runs had been stopped up, and he killed nearly a hun- dred rats before he paused. 2. used of smth. resembling narrow labyrinthine passages: Hurrying along the rat-runs of the Tube, she slipped her hand into his pocket. 3. (UK coll.) a short cut taken by a motorist on residential side street in order to avoid the heavy traffic on a main route: Rat runs are usually taken by drivers who are familiar with the local geography. rat-racing(Pilots) a playful form of high-speed flying in which airplanes pursue or attempt to out-maneuver each other: I’ve forgotten what we were doing—probably rat-racing … where we chased each other all over the sky. reach first base • touch base reach first base —(also: get to first base) get to the initial stage in accomplishing smth.: Negotiations had not even reached first base because the Government was continually using delay- ing tactics. touch base —(coll.) contact smb.; confer with a person (also: touch bases): Forstmann had touched base with his partners and found that they harbored a vague distaste for the tobacco business. reach for the moon • reach for the sky reach for the moon—(also: reach for the stars) have a high ambition or purpose; try to do smth. impossible: Our learning experience was rich and fulfilling and enabled each one of us to reach for the moon in our own way. reach for the sky—1. = reach for the moon: Thompson was the kind of man that never stopped dreaming and who always reached for the sky . Cf.: sky is the limit—there is no limit to what a person can achieve: They have found that, in terms of both salary and career success, the sky is the limit . 2. (sl.) used (by a gunman) as a command to raise hands (also: reach for the ceiling ): Danielson crawled up, jammed his rifle in the enemy’s back and told him to reach for the sky . reach out after someone • reach out to someone reach out after someone—extend one’s hand in an effort to grasp a person: Don reached out after Doris, but she slipped away before he could get a good hold on her. reach out to someone—1. offer help or support to a person: You reached out to me just when I needed help the most. 2. make an effort to communicate with smb. in order to persuade or inform: Modern politicians try to reach out to ordinary people in their speeches. reach the bottom of something • reach to the bottom of something reach the bottom of something—(also: get to the bottom of something ) get to the lowest point of smth.: We were glad to reach the bottom of the mountain. reach to the bottom of something—extend to the lowest point of smth.: That rope reaches to the bottom of the tower. You grab hold and attempt to climb out. react on something • react to something react on something—1. have an effect on smth.: Heat reacts on certain substances to change their chemical composition. 2. act in response to smth.: How will people react on this information in Russia and China? And in other countries? react to something— = react on something 2: Observe carefully how the bacteria will react to this stimulus. Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase react against somethingact in opposition to smth.: People will not endure oppression for ever; sooner or later they will react against it. read my lips • read someone’s lips read my lips—(may sound slightly impolite) listen closely to what I am saying: Let me repeat myself this once, and Zepp, be sure to read my lips as I do so. rain day – 280 –