Chapter Ruffe to Running Footman of R by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Run a Rig (To). To play a trick, to suffer a sportive trick. Thus, John Gilpin, when he set out, “little thought of running such a rig” as he suffered. Florio gives as a meaning of rig, “the tricks of a wanton;” hence frolicsome and deceptive tricks. The rig of a ship means the way it is rigged, hence its appearance; and, as pirates deceive by changing the rig of their vessel, so rig came to mean a trick to deceive, a trick, a frolicsome deception.

Run Riot (To). To run wild. A hunting term, meaning to run at a whole herd.

Run Thin (To). To start from a bargain. When liquor runs thin it indicates that the cask is nearly empty.

Run a Man Down (To). To abuse, depreciate. A hunting term.

Run of the House (The). He has the run of the house. Free access to it, and free liberty to partake of whatever comes to table. A “run of events” means a series of good, bad, and indifferent, as they may chance to succeed each other. And the “run of the house” means the food and domestic arrangements as they ordinarily occur.

Runs The tub runs- leaks, or lets out water. In this and all similar phrases the verb run means to “be in a running state.” Thus we have “the ulcer runs,” “the cup runs over,” “the rivers run blood,” “the field runs with blood.”

Runs may Read (He that). The Bible quotation in Habakkuk ii. 2 is, “Write the vision, and make it plain, that he may run that readeth it.” Cowper says-

“But truths, on which depends our main concern...
Shine by the side of every path we tread
With such a lustre, he that runs may read.”
Tirocinium.

Running Quite out of the running. Quite out of court, not worthy of consideration. A horse which has been “scratched” is quite out of the running. (See Scratched .)

Running Footman The last of these menials died out with the infamous Duke of Queensberry. In the early part of the eighteenth century no great house was complete without some half-dozen of them. Their duty was to run before and alongside the fat Flemish mares of the period, and advise the innkeeper of the coming guests. The pole which they carried was to help the cumbrous coach of their master out of the numerous sloughs on the northern and western high-roads. (See Bow Street Runners, Estafette .)