run rings around someone
Meaning: to easily surpass someone; to be far superior in ability.
Language: English
Literally: to run rings around someone
Category: Daily Life
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 idioms — Daily Life
- get the ball rolling — to start something; to initiate a process.
- as tough as old boots — very strong; enduring; difficult to break.
- head honcho — the person in charge; the leader.
- get the short end of the stick — to receive unfair treatment; to get the worse deal.
- no love lost — mutual dislike; bad relations between people.
- throw in the towel — to give up; to concede defeat.
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.