Advertise here for as little as 40 baht per week
Bobby’s British Breakfast Foods
UK Sausages, Ham, Bacon, Pies, Teas etc.
Call 087 155 7737 or 089 985 7473
SERVED UP BY...
A section for all you budding etymologists where each week the origin of a word or phrase is investigated.
This week it is..... Run rings around
To easily outrun or outclass and opponent.
’Running rings around’ originated as an English hunting
term. It was used by fox-hunters but more often by those
indulging in hare-coursing, which is now banned in the
UK. The circling runs made by the hare in its attempts
to outrun the chasing greyhounds were called rings. The
first person to refer in print to rings with that meaning
was the Member of Parliament for Ipswich, William
Churchill, in 1717:
“Hunt circling Hares, or wily Foxes chase, Their mazy
Rings, and fly Meanders trace.”
‘Running rings’ came a little later. The first example that
can be found of the expression in print is in the hunting
text Stable Talk and Table Talk, Charles Brindley, 1846:
“Was it a bad scenting country, or were foxes scarce?”
He said, “Neither: but the foxes were apt to run rings.”
‘Running rings around’ is found later again, in the 1875
Coursing Calendar:
Ace-of-Trumps was immensely her superior, making
rings round her, and winning all one way.
The figurative use of the phrase, which refers to people
being outwitted or outclassed rather than outrun, began
being used in the late 19th century. Several of these
early uses come from Australia and New Zealand; for
example, this piece from the New Zealand newspaper
The Waikato Times, November 1880:
Failing Mr Clark’s acceptance of the invitation to
become a candidate [for election as Mayor], there
are several other well-known citizens who could “run
rings” around Mr Larkins.
The alternative form of the expression is ‘run circles
around’, which came into being later again, around
the turn of the 10th century. This form is entirely
disassociated from the source hunting context and was
coined in the USA and is still used there, whereas most
other English-speaking countries prefer the original ;run
rings’ version. An example of it is found in the New York
newspaper The Syracuse Standard, July 1897:
The speedy Herreshoff flyer... could run circles around
any of the craft running between Clayton and the Bay.
Is there an English phrase or saying that you would
like to know more about?
Email it to us on submissions@awolonline.net
siamexpat.tv
Get over 50 of the best
UK Entertainment channels
on your TV set for just ฿690
Or, for just ฿ NL[