Raket. [rah ket´] Of course there are the tennis or badminton rackets, but the other meaning may be more familiar: a dishonest or illegal means of getting money. Sometimes in jest, someone will ask, ano ang raket mo ngayon? Which means, what kind of business do you have now? Something  not necessarily illegal or immoral.

Radyo. [rah´jo] The ubiquitous radio. The transistor radio was once the only way to keep in touch with the far flung areas of the Philippines. It is still vital (and cheap too) but satellites, cable TV and cellular phones now have a wider reach.

Ramen. [rah´men] A popular kind of cheap noodles in small packs or plastic cups. Students on a budget and poor families often have them for meals. Of course they lack nutrients, and have all sorts of preservatives you don’t even want to know about.

Rangya. [rung yah´] Ostentatious, showy. Nouveau riche characteristics. Kawalang-rangya is the opposite: simple.

Rason. [rah son´] Reason. Kids will always reason out with their elders, just the way these elders reasoned out with theirs long ago. Except that the art of reasoning gets better every time. Would-be parents must now take a course on argumentation and debate before having children!

Raw. [rao] It was said… Key word in a rumor or gossip. Pronounced as ra-oh. See also daw.

Rebulto. [re bul´toh] A statue or bust of someone, usually famous enough to have one.

Reclamo. [rek lah´moh] To complain or a complaint. Something Pinoys don’t normally do unless they are really fed up. They are now learning from more verbal cultures. See daing.

Recibo. [reh see´boh] Receipt. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the nation’s tax collector, encourages everyone to demand receipts. This is so that taxes are sure to reach government coffers. But what about the underground economy that has helped us survive for so long?

Remata. [reh mah tah´] To foreclose. A big problem for many failed businesses and people who overextend their credit.

Relasyon. [reh las yon´] Relations or relationships. It’s usually used to describe an intimate bond with someone.

Relo. [reh loh´] A watch but also a clock. With cheap digital items from China, you can now by a watch or small clock for less than P50. There was a time when clocks and watches were so expensive that it took years before one could own them.

Relyebo [rel yeh´boh] To take turns. What parents do during 2 and 4 am feedings, unless baby is breastfed!

Retaso. [reh tah´soh] A Spanish word to mean the end of the roll, or the scraps after cutting cloth. Our parents called us retaso when we were small children.

Rimarim. [ree mah rim] Repulsion, aversion, loathing. Some pretty negative feelings, to say the least!

Rinireto. [ree nee reh´toh] The original word is reto from Spanish which means challenge or to pit one against the other. When used  for match-making purposes, it means pushing or endorsing a possible candidate. Everyone must have a say in love and courtship, and each has a favorite.

[Ma] rupok. [mah rue puk´] Flimsy or easily broken.

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