race (redirected from racing)

*race card

Cliché the issue of race magnified and injected into a situation which might otherwise be non-racial. (Typically: deal ~; play ~; use ~.) At the last minute, the opposition candidate played the race card and lost the election for himself.

See also: card

off to the races

Fig. an expression characterizing the activity or excitement that is just beginning; [we are] leaving for something interesting or exciting. The tour bus is out in front waiting and we've said goodbye to everyone. Looks like we're off to the races.

race someone for something

to compete against someone for a prize; to try to outrun someone to get to something first. I will race you for the grand prize. Ned raced his sister for the breakfast table every morning.

race someone to some place

to compete against someone to see who gets to a place first. I will race you to the door. Tim wanted to race me to the corner.

See also: place, some

race against someone or something

to attempt to win a trial of speed against someone or something. I don't want to race against Kelly. She is too fast. I had to race against time to get there before the baby got worse.

See also: against

race against time 

1. a rush; a rush to beat a deadline. We were in a race against time to beat the deadline. It was a race against time, but we made it.

2. to hurry to beat a deadline. We had to race against time to finish before the deadline. You don't need to race against time. Take all the time you want.

See also: against, time

race around

to run or move around in a great hurry. Stop racing around and calm down! I have been racing around all morning, trying to get some things done.

See also: around

race around (after someone or something)

to rush here and there to find or fetch someone or something. I had to race around after Tom. I couldn't seem to catch up to him. I wish I could find the dog without having to race around all over the neighborhood.

See also: around

race for something

to run or drive fast to get to something in a hurry. I raced for the door to see who was there. The children raced for the best seats in front of the television set.

race into someone or something

to bump or crash into someone or something. The boys raced into the side of the car, and one of them was hurt. We raced into Mary and knocked her over.

race into something

to run into a place. The children raced into the room and headed straight for their presents. Please don't race into the garden. You will trample the flowers.

race through someone or something

to run or chase through a group of people or a place. The children raced through the group of ladies standing by the door. The dogs raced through the room, upsetting a lamp.

See also: through

race through something

to perform some task very rapidly. They raced through their prayers and jumped into bed. The children raced through dinner, in a hurry to get outside to play.

See also: through

race to someone or something

to run to someone or something. The girls raced to the front room. We all raced to Mary, who had the candy.

race up to someone or something

to run to someone or something. Molly raced up to Paul and kissed him on the cheek. We raced up to the door and opened it cautiously.

See also: up

race with someone or something

to enter a speed contest with someone or something. I refuse to race with Carla. She is much too fast for me. I can't race with a horse!

rat race

Fig. a fierce struggle for success, especially in one's career or business. Bob got tired of the rat race. He's retired and gone to the country. The money market is a rat race, and many people who work in it get out quickly because of the stress.

See also: rat

run the good race

to do the best that one could; to live life as well and as fully as possible. He didn't get what he wanted, but he ran the good race. Joan ran the good race, and she will be remembered by all of us.

See also: good, run

slow and steady wins the race

Prov. If you work slowly but constantly, you will succeed better than if you work fast for a short while and do not continue. (Associated with Aesop's fable of "The Tortoise and the Hare.") Joy only had a little bit of time to spend sewing every day, but she worked steadily and soon had finished a beautiful quilt. Slow and steady wins the race.

See also: and, slow, steady, win

tight race

a close race. It was a tight race right up to the final turn when my horse pulled ahead and won easily.

See also: tight

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a one-horse race

a competition which one particular person or team is very likely to win because they seem much better than the other people competing This election has been a one-horse race right from the start.

a race against time/the clock

an attempt to do something very quickly because there is only a short time in which it can be done It's a race against time to get the building finished before the rainy season sets in.

See also: against, clock, time

a rat race

an unpleasant way in which people compete against each other at work in order to succeed I'd love to get out of the rat race and buy a house in some remote part of the countryside.

See smell a rat

See also: rat

race against the clock

in sport, if people race against the clock, they try to race faster than a particular time instead of racing against other people In time trials, cyclists race against the clock.

See also: against, clock

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a race against the clock See: a race against time

See also: against, clock

a race against time also a race against the clock

an attempt to do something when there is little time to do it It was a race against time as staff members tried to keep the struggling company open.

Usage notes: sometimes used as a verb phrase: The villagers raced against time to protect their town against the flood.

See also: against, time

off to the races

busy doing something I don't think there will be a dramatic change in the economy - I don't see that we're off to the races. If you make changes in the rules, the tax lawyers will be off to the races again.