ENGLISH
REFERENCE

red rider

idiom
Meaning

War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.


Origin

disputed origin

A reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as the rider of a red horse is War.

Examples
SIMPLE

The red rider brings war to the land.

CONTEXTUAL

In the ancient story, the red rider appears on the horizon to signal the start of a great conflict.

COMPLEX

The prophecy describes the red rider as a harbinger of global strife, destined to strip peace from the earth and incite humanity toward total destruction.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    black rider

    Famine, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

  2. 02

    bleed red ink

    To suffer from severe net losses.

  3. 03

    clap one's hands red

    To clap or applaud intensely.

  4. 04

    cut red tape

    To reduce bureaucracy.

  5. 05

    neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring

    Synonym of neither fish nor fowl (“not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; also, not having the advantages of the various options”).

  6. 06

    paint the town red

    To party or celebrate in a rowdy, wild manner, especially in a public place.

  7. 07

    pale rider

    Death, the Grim Reaper or angel of death; and one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

  8. 08

    put on the red light

    To advertise oneself as a prostitute.

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