Run Around

The Definition

To be given evasive, deceptive, or delaying treatment, especially when seeking a direct answer or assistance. It is the art of being "shuffled" from one department to another, or from one excuse to the next, until you are too exhausted to continue.

The Deep Dive

This is a "high-friction" piece of junk knowledge that describes the universal human experience of institutional avoidance. While we now use it for insurance claims or tech support, the phrase is a literal description of "running" in circles without moving forward.

  • The Literal Roots: The term is a compound of the verb "run" and the adverb "around." In the mid-19th century, it was used literally to describe someone moving in a circuit or a detour to bypass an obstacle.

  • The "Circumlocution" Office: The metaphorical shift occurred in the late 1800's. It perfectly captured the feeling of being a "human pinball" in a large organization. To "give someone the runaround" was to force them to run from one physical office to another, only to be told they needed a form from the office they just left.

  • The Printing Parallel: Interestingly, there is a technical "runaround" in the world of typography. It refers to a section of type that is narrowed or shaped to "run around" an illustration or a graphic. Just as the text is forced to detour around the image, the person getting the "runaround" is forced to detour around the truth.

The phrase became a staple of American slang by 1913. It solidified its place in the lexicon during the rise of massive 20th-century bureaucracies (like the DMV or large insurance firms), where "evasive treatment" became an unintended—or sometimes intended—standard operating procedure.

Fast Facts

  • The "Runabout" Rival: In British English, the term "runabout" was sometimes used similarly, though it more often referred to a small, nimble car or a person who wanders from place to place.

  • The "Whitlow" Connection: In medical "junk knowledge" from the 1860's, a "runaround" was a name for a specific type of infection (a paronychia) that physically "ran around" the edge of a fingernail.

  • The First Print: While literal uses date back further, the Oxford English Dictionary tracks the "deceptive treatment" meaning to the early 20th century, appearing in US publications to describe political and business stalling tactics.

References

  • Raue, C. G. (1867). Special Pathology and Diagnostics. (For the early medical use).

  • Ammer, C. (2013). The Dictionary of Clichés. Skyhorse Publishing.

  • The Oxford English Dictionary. (2026). Runaround (n. and adj.). Oxford University Press.

  • Etymonline. (2026). Runaround (n.).