Englishrun rings around someone
Meaning: to easily surpass someone; to be far superior in ability.
Example: “The ten-year-old ran rings around the adults at chess.”
Origin: From racing, and the boast is specific rather than general: a runner fast enough to circle an opponent repeatedly and still finish first is not merely winning but wasting surplus speed to demonstrate the gap. Attested from the late 1800s, with early examples particularly common in Australian sporting writing, the phrase belongs to a small group of idioms in which superiority is proved by deliberately squandering the advantage — the same logic as fighting with one hand tied or spotting an opponent a head start. The image also fits coursing and hunting, where a hare that doubles back in circles leaves its pursuer repeatedly committed to the wrong direction.
More English idioms
- bury the hatchet to make peace; to settle a dispute.
- a storm in a teacup excessive fuss over something trivial; tempest in a teapot.
- up the creek without a paddle in a difficult situation without means to escape.
- paint the town red to celebrate wildly; to party extensively.
- fit as a fiddle in excellent physical condition; healthy.
- take the plunge to commit to something risky; to make a decisive move.
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Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
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