US Slang

razzle-dazzle: flashy style.
She's a very good singer, but I can do without all the razzle-dazzle that goes on behind her.

read: to understand.
It's hard to get a good read on the new boss. His mood doesn't change very much.

red-hot: popular; something everyone wants to buy.
Those t-shirts are so red-hot, they're sold off the shelves as soon as they arrive in the stores.

redneck: a white person who is not very well-educated, likes to shoot guns, drive big trucks, and takes pride in being a little stupid or backward. Most live in the southern part of the U.S. but they can be found almost everywhere--except in the cities.
Billy Bob is kind of a redneck because of his racist and intolerant view of blacks and Latinos.

red tape: government paperwork; bureaucracy.
Starting a business is difficult enough without all the red-tape a peson has to go through to get it started.

rep: short for "representative" or "reputation."
Syndy said she didn't want to go out with Tad because it would give her a bad rep.

repo: short for "reposession."
Our neighbors had their car taken in the middle of the night by a repo man.

retro: something kind of old, at least 20 or 30 years.
Retro styles of the 1970s are still popular these days.

revolving door: a situation in which people come and go very quickly.
The job was so difficult, it quickly became known as a revolving door at that company, and no one wanted to go through it.

right on: hat's good; that's correct; yes. (used to express agreement or happiness)
A: It looks like we're going to get a raise this year.
B: Yeah! Right on!

rights: your protection under the law; in the United States, protection under the U.S. Constitution--the law of the land.
Did you say the police just came into your house without permission from a judge? They can't do that. You should know your rights.

rinky dink: something of poor quality.
Joan wants to leave her rinky-dink apartment and find something bigger.

rip off: cheat; to trick a consumer into making a bad purchase.
I feel like I got ripped off when I bought these shoes, so I'm going to take them back.

rip on: to criticize; to say bad things about someone or something.
Nelson has to stop ripping on his kids.

rob the cradle: to marry or have a relationship with a person who is much younger.
Terry likes his new girlfriend, but with a 20-year difference in age, he's really robbing the cradle. It makes him a little uncomfortable

rocky: difficult; a situation with a lot of problems.
Their marriage entered a rocky period, but they worked through their problems and decided to stay together.

roll: go; leave.
Is everyone ready to roll? Yes? Okay, let's roll.

rookie: a person who is a new member of a sports team or other organization.
A rookie cop shot and killed someone who turned out to be completely innocent of any wrong-doing.

root for: to support; to cheer for.
A: Which soccer team are you rooting for?
B: Manchester United.

rubber: prophylactic protection for sexual activity; also called a "condom."
Henry keeps a rubber in his wallet just in case he gets lucky, but he never does.

rug rats: small children, usually under the age of three or four. Called "rug rats" because they crawl a lot on soft carpeted surfaces.
With four rug rats at home, Kurt sometimes doesn't mind spending a few extra hours at work.

run: to leave quickly.
Oh no! Look at the time! I've got to run.