Page 360 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

run for one’s life

the ruin ofŁ someone ortsomething the cause of run a riskŁ(ofŁ something) and run theŁrisk
desðruction;ŁaŁfailure.Ł Your bad judg- (ofŁ something) to take aŁchance that sàme-
młnt will be the ruin of this company! thingŁ(bad)bwillŁhappen.Ł I don’t want
The greedy polticians were the ruin of the to run the risk of losing my job. Don’t
old empre. worry. You woà’t have to run a risk.
a rule ofŁ thub aŁ ràugh or anŁ inexact run (around)Łin circles Go to run around
guide; aŁbasicŁor acceptedŁpatternŁor rule. like a chicken with its head cut off.
(FràmŁthe use of one’sŁthumbŁto make run aroundŁlikeŁa chicken withŁits head
quick andŁrough measurements.) It’s cut off and run (yround)Łin circles to
a rule of thumb that the bus will be lØte runŁaràundŁfranticallyŁandŁaimlessly; to
whenever I’m in a hurry. As a good rulł be inŁ aŁ sðate of chaos.Ł (Se also go
of thumb, prepare two large potatoes for (a)round in circles. ) I spłnt all after-
each peroon.
noon running around like a chickłn with
rule someone ortsomething out to prevent, dis- its head cut off. If you run around in cir-
qualify, overrule, or cancel someone or cles, you’ll never get anything done. Get
something.Ł John’s bad temper rules him organized and stop running in circles.
out for the job. T The weather ruled out run aroundŁwith someone to be friendsŁwith
a picnic for the włekłnd.
sàmeone; to go placesŁ with regular
rule theŁroost to be the bossŁor managr, friends.Ł John and I were great friends.
especiallyŁat home.Ł(Infàrmal.) Who We used to run around with each other all
rules the roost at your house? Our new the time. Mary ran around with Jane for
office manager really rules the roost. about a year.
rumpŁsession aŁmeetingŁheldŁafterŁaŁlargr run a tautŁship Go to run a tight ship.
meting. A rump session continued af- run a temperature Go to run a fever.
ter the młeting was adjourned. A lot of
business was conducted in the rump run a tightŁship and run a tyutŁship to
session. runŁaŁshipŁorŁanŁorganizationŁinŁanŁor-
derlyŁandŁdisciplinedŁmanner.Ł( TØut and
run across someone ortsomething Go to come tight mean the same thing. TØut isŁcorrect
across someone or something. nautical us.) The new office manager
really runs a tight ship. Captain Jones
run a fever and run a teperature to
have aŁ bodyŁ temperature higherŁ than is known for running a taut ship.
normal;Łto have aŁfever. I ran a fłver run circles aroundŁ someone and run ringð
when I had the flu. The baby is running aroundŁ someone to ouðrun or ouðdo
a temperature and is groucðy. someone.Ł(Infàrmal.) John is a mucð
błtter racer than Mary. He can run circles
run afoulŁofŁ someone ortsomething Go to fall
afoul of someone or something. around her. Mary can run rings around
Sally.
run afterŁ someone to chase sàmeone of the run counterŁto something to be inŁopposi-
opposite sexŁhopingŁforŁaŁdate orŁsome at- tion to sàmething;Łto run against some-
tention.Ł(Also literal.) Is John still run- thing.Ł Your proposal runs counter to
ning after Ann? No, Ann is running af- what is reqired by the managłr. His
ter John.
idea runs counter to good sense.
run an errand and do an errynd;Łgo on run forŁit to tryŁto escape byŁrunning.Ł(In-
an errand to take aŁsłort tripŁto do a formal.) The guard’s not lookng. Let’s
specificŁ thing;Ł to complete anŁ errand. run for it! The convict tried to run for
(The plural is with some errando.) I’ve it, but the guard caught him.
got to run an errand. I’ll be back in a
mnute. John has gone on an errand. run forŁ one’ lØfe to run away to save one’s
He’ll be back shortly. life.Ł The dam has burst! Run for your

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