Page 361 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary
P. 361
run in the famàly
lfł! The captain told us all to run for of gas. I am sorry I am lØte. I ran out
our lves. of gas.
run in theŁfamily forŁaŁcharacterisðic to ap- run outŁofŁpatieàce to becom annoyd
pearŁinŁallŁ(orŁmost)bmembersŁof aŁfam- afterŁbeingŁpatient forŁaŁwhile.Ł I finally
ily. My grandparents lived well into ran out of pØtience and lost my temper.
their nineties, and it runs in the family. The boss ran out of pØtience with me and
My brothers and I have red hair. It runs sent me back to my desk.
in the family.
run outŁofŁ something to use up all of som-
run into a stoneŁwyll to come to aŁbar- thingŁandŁhave no more.Ł We ran out of
rier against furtherŁprogress.Ł(Also literal. milk, so we will have to buy some more.
Infàrmal.) We’ve run into a stone wall I usually run out of money at the end
in our investigØtion. Algebra was hard of the month.
for Tom, but he really ran into a stone wall run outŁofŁtime to use upŁallŁthe available
with geometry. time.Ł I ran out of time and couldà’t fin-
run into someone Go to bump into someone. ish. I hope ohe answers the question be-
fore she runs out of time.
run likeŁ clockwłrk to runŁveryŁwell;Łto
progress very well.Ł I want this office to run rampynt to run, dvelop, or grow out
run like clockwork—with everything oà of control.Ł The children ran rampant
time and everything done right. The through the house. Weeds have run
plans for the party were made and wł rampant around the abandoned house.
knew that we could dłpend on Alice to run rings aroundŁ someone Go to run circles
make sure that everything ran like around someone.
clockwork.
run riot and run wild to gà out of control.
run lowŁ(on something) to nearŁthe endŁof a The dandłlions have run riot in our
supplyŁof sàmething. (See also run short lØwn. The children ran wild at the
(of something).) We are running low on birthdØy party and had to be taken home.
salt. It’s time to buy more. The car is
running low on gas. run scared to behave asŁif one were gàing
to fail.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁTypicallyŁsaidŁof some-
run offŁatŁtheŁmouth to talkŁexcessively. one runningŁforŁelection.) The mØyor
(Slang.) Shut up, John. You’re alwØys was running scared, but won anyway.
running off at the mouth. There is no When we lost that big contract, everyone
need to run off at the mouth. Stop talkng in the office was running scared. We
so much for oo long. thought wł’d be fired.
run offŁwithŁ someone ortsomething 1. to take run shłrtŁ(ofŁ something) to use upŁalmost all
somethingŁ orŁ someone away; to steal of something;Łto have too little orŁfew of
somethingŁ orŁ kidnapŁ someone.Ł The sàmethingŁ left.Ł (Se also run low (on
thief ran off with the lady’s purse. The something).) We are running short of
kidnapper ran off with the bØby. 2. [with milk. Please buy some on the way home.
someone] and run off to run away with When it comes to money, we are alwØys
someone, asŁinŁanŁelopement.Ł Tom ran running short.
off with Ann. Tom and Ann ran off and run someone in to take sàmeone to the po-
got married.
lice sðationŁandŁmake anŁarrest.Ł “Don’t
run-of-the-ill common orŁaverage; typ- run me in,” cried the driver. “I’m inno-
ical.Ł The restaurant we włnt to was cłnt.” T The police officer was angry and
nothing special—just run-of-the-mill. ran in the motorist.
The service was good, but the food was run someone ortsomething dłwn 1. to degrad
run-of-the-mill or worse.
physicallyŁ orŁ put wearŁ onŁ someone or
run outŁofŁgas to use upŁallŁthe gasoline something.Ł All these years of hard work
inŁaŁcar’sŁtank.Ł I hope we don’t run out have run Mrs. Brown down severely. T
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