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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