American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

device used to imprint the same words over and over. [Early 1900s]

rubbish

hand. see GOOD RIDDANCE (TO BAD RUBBISH).

rub down

Briskly rub the body, as in a massage. For example, The trainer rubs down marathon runners, or That horse needs rubbing down. This expression was first used (and still is) for rubbing away dust and sweat from a horse. [Late 1600s]

rub elbows with Also, rub shoulders with. Mix or socialize with, as in There's nothing like rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, or At the reception diplomats were rubbing shoulders with heads of state. Both of these terms allude to being in close contact with someone.

[Mid-1800s]

Rubicon

hand. see CROSS THE RUBICON.

rub in Also, rub it in. Harp on something, especially an unpleasant matter, as in She always rubs in the fact that she graduated with honors and I didn't, or I know I forgot your birthday, but don't keep rubbing it in. This idiom alludes to the expression rub salt into a wound, an action that makes the wound more painful; it dates from medieval times and remains current. [Mid-1800s]

Also see RUB SOMEONE'S NOSE IN IT.

rub off on

Become transferred to another, influence through close contact, as in We hoped some of their good manners would rub off on our children. This idiom alludes to transferring something like paint to another substance by rubbing against it. [Mid-1900s]

rub one's hands

Experience or exhibit pleased anticipation or self-satisfaction, as in The owner rubbed his hands as the customer picked out item after item. This metaphoric term alludes to the actual rubbing together of one's hands to express pleasure.

rub out

1. Obliterate or erase by, or as if by, rubbing. For example, Bill was so busy rubbing out the old markings that he forgot to put in new ones. [Mid-1600s] 2. Murder, kill, as in They threatened to rub him out if he didn't pay up. [Slang; mid-1800s]

rub someone's nose in it

Bring something, especially an error or fault, repeatedly and forcefully to someone's attention. For example, I know I was wrong, but don't rub my nose in it. This expression alludes to the unkind practice of housebreaking a dog by rubbing its nose in its feces. [Mid-1900s]

rub the wrong way

Irritate, annoy, as in His remarks about welfare rubbed a great many people the wrong way. This idiom alludes to rubbing an animal's fur in the wrong direction. [Mid-1800s] Also see RUFFLE

SOMEONE'S FEATHERS.

rub up on

Refresh one's knowledge, as in I must rub up on my French before we leave for Paris. [Second half of 1700s] Also see BRUSH UP, def. 2.

ruffle someone's feathers

Annoy or offend someone, as in Calling him a tightwad really ruffled his feathers. This term alludes to the stiffened, upright feathers of an angry bird. [Mid-1800s]

rug

hand. see PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER; SWEEP UNDER THE RUG. Also see under CARPET.

ruin

hand. see RACK AND RUIN.

rule

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with RULE, also see AS A RULE; EXCEPTION

PROVES THE RULE; GROUND RULES.

rule of thumb

A rough and useful principle or method, based on experience rather than precisely accurate measures. For example, His work with the youth group is largely by rule of thumb. This expression alludes to making rough estimates of measurements by using one's thumb. [Second half of 1600s]

rule out

1. Eliminate from consideration, exclude, as in The option of starting over again has been ruled out. [Second half of 1800s] 2. Prevent, make impossible, as in The snowstorm ruled out our weekly rehearsal. [First half of 1900s]

rule the roost

Be in charge, boss others, as in In our division the chairman's son rules the roost. This expression originated in the 15th century as rule the roast, which was either a corruption of rooster or alluded to the person who was in charge of the roast and thus ran the kitchen. In the barnyard a rooster decides which hen should roost near him. Both interpretations persisted for 200 years. Thomas Heywood (c. 1630) put it as "Her that ruled the roast in the kitchen," but Shakespeare had it in 2 Henry VI (1:1): "The newmade duke that rules the roast," which is more ambiguous. In the

mid-1700s roost began to compete with roast, and in the 1900s roost displaced roast altogether.

Also see RUN THE SHOW.

run

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with RUN, also see BEAT (RUN) ONE'S HEAD

AGAINST THE WALL; CUT AND RUN; DRY RUN; EAT AND RUN; END RUN; GO (RUN) AROUND IN CIRCLES; GREAT MINDS (RUN IN THE SAME CHANNEL); HOME RUN; IN THE LONG RUN; LIKE CLOCKWORK, RUN; MAKE A BREAK (RUN) FOR; MAKE ONE'S BLOOD RUN COLD; (RUN) OFF SOMEONE'S FEET; ON THE RUN; STILL WATERS RUN DEEP; TIGHT SHIP, RUN A; WELL'S RUN DRY. Also see under RUNNING.

run across

hand. see COME ACROSS, def. 1.

run a fever Also, run a temperature. Suffer from a body temperature higher than normal, as in

She was running a fever so I kept her home from school. These idioms use run in the sense of "cause to move," in this case upward. [Early 1900s]

run afoul of Also, run foul of. Come into conflict with, as in If you keep parking illegally you'll run afoul of the police. This expression originated in the late 1600s, when it was applied to a vessel colliding or becoming entangled with another vessel, but at the same time it was transferred to non-nautical usage. Both senses remain current.

run after Also, chase after. 1. Follow, pursue with haste, as in Our dog loves to run after

the mail truck, or The children were chasing after the geese in the park. [c. 1300] 2. Seek the company or attention of, especially aggressively. For example, He's run after her for a year, but she just ignores him. [Early 1500s]

run against

1. Also, run up against or run into. Encounter something, especially a difficulty, unexpectedly. For example, We didn't know we'd run up against so much opposition, or He ran into trouble with his taxes. [Late 1300s] 2. Work against, as in Public sentiment ran against her. [Late 1300s] 3.

Oppose for elective office, as in Susan decided to run against a very popular incumbent. This usage is a figurative application of running in a footrace. [First half of 1800s]

run along

Go away, leave, as in I'll be running along now; I'm already late. This expression is also used as an imperative to tell someone to go away, as in Run along, children, I have work to do. [Early 1800s]

run amok Also, run riot or wild. Behave in a frenzied, out-of-control, or unrestrained manner. For example, I was afraid that if I left the toddler alone she would run amok and have a hard time calming down, or The weeds are running riot in the lawn, or The children were running wild in the playground. Amok comes from a Malay word for "frenzied" and was adopted into English, and at

first spelled amuck, in the second half of the 1600s. Run riot dates from the early 1500s and derives from an earlier sense, that is, a hound's following an animal scent. Run wild alludes to an animal reverting to its natural, uncultivated state; its figurative use dates from the late 1700s.

run an errand

Go to perform a commission, as in I spent the morning running household errands?

to the cleaners, the supermarket, the hardware store. [c. 1500]

run a risk Also, run the risk. Be subjected to danger, as in Hiding anything from customs means running a risk that you'll be caught, or Without the right postage and address, this package runs the risk of being lost. [Mid-1600s]

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

hand. see GET THE RUNAROUND.

run around in circles

hand. see GO AROUND, def. 4; RUN RINGS AROUND.

run around like a chicken

hand. see CHICKEN WITH ITS HEAD CUT OFF.

run around with

hand. see RUN AROUND, def. 2.

run a temperature

hand. see RUN A FEVER.

run a tight ship

hand. 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

hand. 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, cause to decline or be declined in health or vigor, as in His long illness ran him down, leaving him with no energy, or After that huge assignment his strength ran down. [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

hand. 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 IT.

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

hand. 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.

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, 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

hand. see LIKE CLOCKWORK.

running

hand. 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 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 trespassers, 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 someone off his or her feet

hand. see OFF SOMEONE'S FEET, 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

hand. see RUN DOWN, def. 7.

run one's head against the wall

hand. see BEAT ONE'S HEAD AGAINST THE WALL.

run one's own show

hand. 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

hand. 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

hand. see RUN IN, def. 3.

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 and ut, the lowest and highest notes respectively. [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 "lanecourse." 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