sit at the dinner table relaxing while I ran about, sweat drip- ping from my brow… walk someone off his feet—tire a person very much with long walking: My mother, in spite of her age, is so healthy that she can still walk me off my feet . run someone round • run someone round in circles run someone round—1. drive smb. to a place: You have to go into one of Heathrow’s terminals and hire a car, they will run you round to the hire car places. 2. (coll.) perform the duties of a servant for a person: Don’t expect me to run you round for the rest of your life! run someone round in circles—(also: give someone a run- around) deliberately withhold information, etc. from a person, sending him to other places to get it: I spent a long time speak- ing to various representatives who just run me round in cir - cles . See also: go around someone / run circles around someone. run something down • run something up run something down—1. lower smth. such as a flag: A few of us created a big diversionary distraction near the main entrance while two other guys snuck out and ran down the flag. 2. speak of smth. in a disparaging or critical manner: You always run my proposals down . You find every reason in the world not to support them. 3. find smth. after searching: We now have access to this photograph. Bob ran it down in a West Point yearbook. run something up—1. raise smth. such as a flag: Just as the ship came within cannon range, the British ship ran up the flag of the United States. 2. (of a debt) cause to grow quickly: My wife had a joint account with her previous husband; before he left her he ran up a huge overdraft. 3. make smth. such as clothing, etc. quickly: The sailors ran up a rough shelter and then searched for food and water. run something into the ground • run something to ground run something into the ground—1. treat smth. so badly as to destroy it: The new owner ran the business into the ground . He had no set hours, gave bad service, failed to pay his sup- pliers…. 2. pursue or discuss a topic, etc. too much or too thoroughly (used showing disapproval): Hopefully, this news cycle will be short-lived as they are starting to run the story into the ground . run something to ground—find smth. after a long search (also: run something to earth): After searching in many stores, he finally ran to ground the book he had spent so long looking for. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase run something aground—(Nautical) cause a vessel to become stranded at low water: The galleon’s crew purposely ran the ship aground on Catalina Island to escape the raider. run up to something • runup to something run up to something—(also: run out at something) amount to a figure mentioned; reach a sum: The first stage of the oil project will cost $4 billion, and later development costs will run up to $12 billion. runup to something —the period leading to an activity, such as election, etc.: Baker doesn’t think war is inevitable, but he thinks we’re in a runup to war. running fit • running fits running fit—(Engineering ) contact of mechanical parts that permits free rotation or movement: A running fit is one in which an allowance is made so that a shaft will be free to rotate in a bearing. running fits —canine hysteria (an epileptic condition of dogs): After a few weeks the dogs began to exhibit signs of “running fits .” rush someone off his feet • sweep someone off his feet rush someone off his feet—(also: rush someone off his legs) exhaust a person by keeping him constantly busy: I’ve been so rushed off my feet that I’ve not had a moment to do any- thing except work. sweep someone off his feet—(also: carry someone off his feet) affect a person with overwhelming enthusiasm: I remember being swept completely off my feet when I first met Jim. Russian Easter egg • Russian egg Russian Easter egg —hand painted wooden or porcelaine dec- orative egg: She plays an American wife who comes across a Russian Easter egg that has been in her family for years. Russian egg—an egg poached and served with mayonnaise on a lettuce leaf: I yelled an order for Russian eggs . It comes up a salad the size of the Garden of Eden. rust bowl • rust bucket rust bowl —(U.S.) said of the declining industrial areas, espe- cially of the Middle West: His policies are turning our great industrial Midwest and the industrial base of this country into a rust bowl . rust bucket—(sl.) 1. (U.S.) an old, worn and rusty ship: To try to get the jump on the weather, ore carriers will put every rust bucket that floats into the ore trade. 2. (Austral.) a dilap- idated rusty old car: And because no one wants to buy a rust bucket , it can radically depreciate your car’s resale value. S safe against something • safe from something safe against something—protected from possible dangers (such as fire, etc.) should they happen: I try to make sure my house is as safe against hurricanes as possible. safe from something—said of dangers that cannot possibly harm a person or thing: A person once infected with the small- pox is safe from having it a second time. safety man • safety officer safety man —1. a person responsible for safety: As John began to get into his diving things again he wished that somebody could be left in the boat as safety man . 2. a man guarding a temporarily disused mine-shaft: These officials, known as “safety men ,” will eat their dinner in semi-darkness hundreds of feet below the surface of the earth. 3. (U.S. Football) a defensive back who plays in the deepest position: He scored from four yards out, running straight over the safety man . safety officer—a person who coordinates safety measures within an organization: Safety engineering is receiving an impetus by the appointment of safety officers by many firms. Saigon moment • sputnik moment Saigon moment—(usually in military contexts) used when people realize that they will lose or fail (originally of the U.S. negative experience in the Vietnam war): “We are waiting for the final chapter, for your Saigon moment ,” a rebel com- mander bragged in a taunt to U.S. President Bush. sputnik moment—used when people realize that they are seriously challenged and have to redouble their efforts to catch up (originally of the time when the Soviet Union launched the – 287 – Saigon moment