The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

by Christine Ammer

  run around 1. Go about hurriedly here and there, as in I have been running around all day so I want to stay home tonight and relax. [Early 1900s] 2. Also, run around with. Associate or consort with socially, as in At college she began to run around with a very liberal group. [Late 1800s] 3. Be sexually unfaithful, as in She caught him running around just once too often and finally sued for divorce. [Early 1900s]

  runaround → See GET THE RUNAROUND.

  run around in circles → See GO AROUND, def. 4; RUN RINGS AROUND.

  run around like a chicken → See LIKE A CHICKEN WITH ITS HEAD CUT OFF.

  run around with → See RUN AROUND, def. 2.

  run a temperature → See RUN A FEVER.

  run a tight ship → See TIGHT SHIP.

  run away 1. Flee, escape, as in Our dog is no watchdog; he runs away from strangers, or Our six-year-old said he’d run away from home. [Late 1300s] 2. Also, run off. Leave secretly, especially to elope, as in She ran away from home when she was only thirteen, or They ran off to Maryland and got married by a justice of the peace. [Early 1600s] 3. it won’t run away. An object, activity, or issue will not disappear, as in You can leave, but when you come back the mess in the kitchen will still be there—it won’t run away, you know! This jocular assurance of permanence dates from the late 1800s. Also see RUN AWAY WITH.

  run away with 1. Also, run off with. Hurriedly make off with someone or something, as in She ran away with the boy next door, or The children ran off with the ball. [Early 1600s] 2. Win handily, as in The film ran away with all the important awards. [Early 1800s] 3. Get the better of, as in Sometimes his enthusiasm runs away with him. [Late 1600s]

  run by someone Try out on someone, as in Let me run this idea by you and see what you think of it. [Colloquial; 1900s]

  run circles around → See RUN RINGS AROUND.

  run counter to Be in conflict with, oppose, as in Practice often runs counter to theory. This idiom, first recorded in 1843, uses counter in the sense of “in an opposite direction.”

  run down 1. Stop because of lack of power or force, as in The alarm clock finally ran down. [Mid-1700s] 2. Make or be tired, decline or cause to decline in health or vigor, as in After that huge assignment his strength ran down or His long illness ran him down, leaving him with no energy. [First half of 1800s] 3. Collide with and knock over, as in The speeding motorist ran down a pedestrian. [Second half of 1500s] 4. Chase and capture, as in Police detectives ran down the suspects. [Second half of 1600s] 5. Trace the source of, as in She ran down all the references at the library. 6. Disparage, as in Don’t run him down, he’s a talented actor. [Second half of 1600s] Also see PUT DOWN, def. 4. 7. Also, run one’s eyes over. Look over, review, as in Let’s run down the membership list again and see if we can pick a delegate, or She ran her eyes over the crowd, looking for her husband. 8. In baseball, tag out a runner between bases, as in We might have won but in the last ­inning they ran down two of our runners.

  run dry → See WELL’S RUN DRY.

  run for it Also, run for one’s life. Depart as fast as possible, either to escape danger or to reach something quickly. For example, You’d better run for it before the teacher catches you, or The bully is coming after you—run for your life! The for it in the first term almost certainly means “for one’s life”—that is, to save one’s life, a usage that can be literal or hyperbolic. Also see FOR DEAR LIFE; MAKE A BREAK FOR.

  run for one’s money, a A close contest or a strong competition, as in We may not win the game, but let’s give them a run for their money. This term probably comes from horse racing, where one may get considerable pleasure from watching the race even if one does not win much. Its first recorded use was in 1874.

  run foul → See RUN AFOUL OF.

  run high Be intense, as in Feelings are running high on the issue of raising taxes. This expression, first recorded in 1711, transfers the strong currents or tides that make for high waves to human concerns.

  run in 1. Insert or include something extra, as in Can you run this map in with the text? [Early 1800s] 2. Also, run on. In printing, make a solid body of text without a paragraph or other break, as in The quotation should be run in rather than set as a paragraph. 3. Also, run someone in. Take someone into custody, as in The police were going to run him in, but he got away. [Slang; mid-1800s] 4. Visit someone briefly, as in If I have time, I’ll run in to see Aunt Mary. [Second half of 1800s] 5. Break something or someone in, as in Let’s run in the new model on a short flight. [Early 1900s] Also see RUN INTO.

  run in place Work or exert oneself without noticeable change or progress. For example, I’ve worked on this project for months but feel I’m running in place. This idiom employs in place in the sense of “on one spot,” a usage dating from the late 1200s.

  run interference Handle problems or help clear the way for another, as in The press secretary runs interference for the governor. This term comes from football, where it refers to the blocking of defensive players by offensive players to let the ball carrier advance. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

  run in the blood Also, run in the family. Be characteristic of a family or passed on from one generation to the next, as in That happy-go-lucky trait runs in the blood, or Big ears run in the family. The first term dates from the early 1600s, the second from the late 1700s. Even older is the synonymous blood will tell, which has denoted that race and kindred are expressed in one’s blood since the 1400s.

  run into 1. Meet or find by chance, as in I ran into an old friend at the concert. [c. 1900] 2. See RUN AGAINST, def. 1. 3. Collide with, as in The car ran straight into the retaining wall. [c. 1800] 4. Incur, as in We’ve run into extra expenses with the renovation, or James said they’ve run into debt. [c. 1400] 5. Mount up, increase to, as in Her book may well run into a second volume. 6. Follow without interruption, as in What with one day running into the next, we never knew just what day it was! or He spoke so fast his words ran into one another. [Late 1600s] Also see RUN INTO A STONE WALL; RUN INTO THE GROUND.

  run into a stone wall Also, hit a brick wall; run into a brick wall. Encounter an insurmountable barrier to progress, as in We tried to get faster approval from the town and ran into a stone wall, or For Allan, learning a foreign language amounted to running into a brick wall.

  run into the ground 1. Pursue a topic until it has been thoroughly discussed or exhausted, as in They’ve run the abortion issue into the ground. 2. Ruin or destroy, as in During her brief time as chief executive Marjorie just about ran the company into the ground. Both usages allude to pushing something so far that it is, in effect, buried. [Early 1800s]

  run its course Proceed to its logical or natural conclusion, as in The doctor said the cold would probably run its course within a week. This idiom employs course in the sense of “an onward movement in a particular path.” [Second half of 1500s]

  run like clockwork → See LIKE CLOCKWORK.

  running → In addition to the idioms beginning with RUNNING, also see HIT THE GROUND RUNNING; IN THE RUNNING; METER IS RUNNING; OFF AND RUNNING.

  running on empty At the end of one’s resources, out of money, as in I don’t know how much longer we can live this way—we’re running on empty with no jobs in sight. This idiom refers to a car running when the gas gauge indicates it is out of fuel. [Second half of 1900s]

  running start An initial advantage, as in His background in biochemistry gave him a running start in the field of genetics. This expression alludes to track events such as the running broad jump, in which one begins moving before reaching the ­actual take-off point. [1920s] Also see under GET OFF THE GROUND.

  run off 1. Escape; see RUN AWAY, def. 2. 2. Flow off, drain, as in By noon all the water had run off the driveway. [Early 1700s] 3. Print, duplicate, or copy, as in We ran off 200 copies of the budget. [Late 1800s] 4. Decide a contest or competition, as in The last two events will be run off on Tuesday. [Late 1800s] 5. Also, run someone out. Force or drive someone away, as in The security guard ran off the tres
passers, or They ran him out of town. [Early 1700s] 6. Produce or perform quickly and easily, as in After years of practice, he could run off a sermon in a couple of hours. [Late 1600s]

  run off at the mouth Talk incessantly, babble, as in Wilbur is always running off at the mouth about his investments. This idiom transfers a flow of ­water to an unending flow of words. [Slang; c. 1900]

  run off with 1. Make off with; see RUN AWAY WITH, def. 1. 2. Capture or carry off, as in The debaters ran off with the state championship.

  run of luck Also, run of bad luck. A continued spell of good (or bad) fortune, as in The builder had a run of luck with day after day of good weather, or Nothing was going right; he was having a long run of bad luck. Originally used mainly in games of chance, this idiom was first recorded in 1782, but the use of run for a continued spell of something dates from the late 1600s.

  run of the mill Ordinary, average, as in There’s nothing special about these singers—they’re just run of the mill. This expression alludes to fabrics coming directly from a mill without having been sorted or inspected for quality. It has survived such similar phrases as run of the mine and run of the kiln, for the products of mines and kilns. [Late 1800s]

  run on 1. Keep going, continue; also, remain in ­effect. For example, That murder trial has been running on for months, or How much longer can this debt be allowed to run on? [Late 1500s] 2. Talk at length; see GO ON, def. 5. 3. Continue a text without a break; see RUN IN, def. 2.

  run one ragged Exhaust one, as in I’ve run myself ragged with this project. This idiom alludes to working so hard that one’s appearance is reduced to rags. [c. 1920]

  run one’s eyes over → See RUN DOWN, def. 7.

  run one’s head against the wall → See BEAT ONE’S HEAD AGAINST THE WALL.

  run one’s own show → See under RUN THE SHOW.

  run out 1. Become used up or exhausted, as in Our supplies have run out. [Late 1600s] 2. Compel to leave; see RUN OFF, def. 5. 3. Become void, ­expire, as in Our renter’s insurance ran out last month. [c. 1300] Also see RUN OUT OF; RUN OUT ON.

  run out of Exhaust a supply or quantity of, as in We’re about to run out of coffee and sugar. This ­expression, dating from about 1700, can be used both literally and figuratively. Thus run out of gas may mean one no longer has any fuel, but it has also acquired the figurative sense of exhausting a supply of energy, enthusiasm, or support, and hence causing some activity to come to a halt. For example, After running ten laps I ran out of gas and had to rest to catch my breath, or The economic ­recovery seems to have run out of gas. On the other hand, run out of steam, originally alluding to a steam engine, today is used only figuratively to ­indicate a depletion of energy of any kind.

  run out on Desert, abandon, as in He’s run out on the family. [First half of 1900s]

  run over 1. Knock down and, often, pass over, as in The car ran over our dog. [First half of 1900s] 2. Review quickly, as in I’ll run over the speech one more time. [Early 1600s] 3. Overflow, as in This pot’s running over. This usage appears in the well-known Twenty-third Psalm: “My cup runneth over [with God’s bounty].” 4. Go beyond, exceed, as in I’ve run over the allotted time, but there are still questions. [Early 1500s]

  run rings around Also, run circles around. Be markedly superior to, as in Ethan runs rings around David in chess, or In spelling, Karen runs circles around her classmates. The first term, dating from the late 1800s, alludes to a horse running around a riding ring much faster than the others.

  run riot → See RUN AMOK.

  run scared Become intimidated or frightened. For example, The polls don’t look too good for our candidate and he’s running scared, or The shrinking market has many businesses running scared. [Mid-1900s]

  run short Use something up so that a supply runs out or becomes insufficient, as in We ran short of envelopes, or The organization is running short of money. [Mid-1700s]

  run someone in → See RUN IN, def. 3.

  run someone off his or her feet → See OFF SOMEONE’S FEET, def. 2.

  run the gamut Extend over an entire range, as in His music runs the gamut from rock to classical. This expression alludes to the medieval musical scale of Guido d’Arezzo, gamut being a contraction of gamma ut, the lowest note of the lowest scale. [Mid-1800s]

  run the gauntlet Be exposed to danger, criticism, or other adversity, as in After he was misquoted in the interview, he knew he would have to run the gauntlet of his colleagues’ anger. This term, dating from the first half of the 1600s, comes from the word gantlope, which itself comes from the Swedish word gatlopp, for “lane-course.” It referred to a form of military punishment where a man ran ­between two rows of soldiers who struck him with sticks or knotted ropes. Almost as soon as gantlope appeared, it was replaced by gauntlet. The word was being used figuratively for other kinds of punishment by 1661, when Joseph Glanvill wrote, “To print, is to run the gantlet, and to expose oneself to the tongues strapado” (The Vanity of Dogmatizing, or Confidence in Opinion).

  run the show Take charge, assume control, as in Ever since Bill retired from the business, his daughter’s been running the show. The word show here simply means “kind of undertaking.” [First half of 1900s] A similar usage is run one’s own show, meaning “exert control over one’s own activities” or “act independently.” For example, The high school drama club didn’t ask permission to perform that play—they want to run their own show. [Mid-1900s]

  run through 1. Pierce, as in The soldier was run through by a bayonet. [c. 1400] 2. Use up quickly, as in She ran through her allowance in no time. [c. 1600] 3. Practice, review or rehearse quickly, as in Let’s run through the first movement again, or The crew ran through the rescue procedures, or The attorney ran through the defense witness’s testimony. [Mid-1400s]

  run to 1. Amount to, as in The total will run to thousands of dollars. This usage employs run in the sense of “extend.” [Mid-1500s] 2. Lean toward, favor, as in My taste runs to chocolate desserts. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s] Also see RUN TO EARTH; RUN TO FORM; RUN TO SEED.

  run to earth Also, run to ground. Track down, find, as in Somehow we have to run those relatives of hers to earth, or It won’t be easy, but I’m sure we can run that jewelry to ground. This expression comes from hunting, where hounds run their quarry to the earth or ground, that is, to their lair. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1800s.

  run to form Also, run true to form. Act as one ­expects, especially in keeping with previous behavior. For example, She ran to form, arriving an hour late, or The door-to-door campaign was running true to form, with solicitors always arriving at dinnertime. This term originally was used for race horses running as expected from their previous record; it was transferred to human behavior in the late 1800s.

  run to seed Also, go to seed. Become devitalized or worn out; deteriorate, as in I went back to visit my old elementary school, and sadly, it has really run to seed, or The gold medalist quickly went to seed after he left competition. This term alludes to plants that, when allowed to set seed after flowering, either taste bitter, as in the case of lettuce, or do not send out new buds, as is true of annual flowers. Its figurative use dates from the first half of the 1800s.

  run up 1. Make or become greater or larger, as in That offer will run up the price of the stock. [Late 1500s] 2. Accumulate, as in She ran up huge bills at the florist. [First half of 1700s] 3. Sew rapidly, as in I can run up some new curtains for the kitchen. [Mid-1800s] 4. Raise a flag, as in Let’s run up the flag in time for the holiday. This usage, originating in the navy about 1900, gave rise to the slangy phrase, Let’s run it up the flagpole and see if anybody salutes, meaning, “Let’s try this out.” The latter originated about 1960 as advertising jargon.

  run wild → See RUN AMOK.

  run with 1. Also, run around with. Socialize with; see RUN AROUND, def. 2. 2. Take as one’s own, adopt; also, carry out enthusiastically. For example, He wanted to run with the idea and go public immediately. 3. run with the hare and
hunt with the hounds. Support two opposing sides at the same time, as in He wants to increase the magazine’s ­circulation along with its price—that’s trying to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. This expression, alluding to being both hunter and hunted at the same time, dates from the 1400s and was already a proverb in John Heywood’s 1546 collection.

  rush → See BUM’S RUSH; FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE ­ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD; MAD RUSH; (RUSH) OFF SOMEONE’S FEET.

  rustle up Get together food or some other needed item with some effort, as in I don’t know what we have but I’ll rustle up a meal somehow, or You boys need to rustle up some wood for a campfire. The verb rustle here means “to assemble in a hurry.” [Late 1800s]

  rut → See IN A RUT.

  s

  saber rattling A flamboyant display of military power; also, aggressive blustering. For example, There had been a great deal of saber rattling between the two nations but hostilities had never broken out. This term, originating about 1920 and alluding to an officer indicating he would draw his saber, at first referred to threatening military force but later was extended to more general use, as in Both candidates engaged in pre-debate saber rattling.

  sack → In addition to the idiom beginning with SACK, also see GET THE AX (SACK); HIT THE HAY (SACK); SAD SACK.

  sackcloth and ashes Mourning or penitence, as in What I did to Julie’s child was terrible, and I’ve been in sackcloth and ashes ever since. This term refers to the ancient Hebrew custom of indicating humility before God by wearing a coarse cloth, normally used to make sacks, and dusting oneself with ashes. In English it appeared in William ­Tyndale’s 1526 biblical translation (Matthew 11:21), “They [the cities Tyre and Sidon] had repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

  sack out Go to sleep, go to bed, as in We sacked out about midnight. This slangy idiom is a verbal use of the noun sack, slang for “bed” since about 1940; it alludes to a sleeping bag and appears in such similar phrases as in the sack, in bed, and sack time, bedtime.