The usage of “run a mile” in a sentenceIs “home run” the equivalent of four bases?“long-run” or “long run”?getting something out on the tableWhat's the meaning of “run in”What does “run someone's plate” means?'run an errand' - what does 'run' mean?The usage of yet in the sentenceHave your everyday runWhat do you do with settings - make them, adjust them, specify them?We're a mile ahead of the restaurant already
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The usage of “run a mile” in a sentence
Is “home run” the equivalent of four bases?“long-run” or “long run”?getting something out on the tableWhat's the meaning of “run in”What does “run someone's plate” means?'run an errand' - what does 'run' mean?The usage of yet in the sentenceHave your everyday runWhat do you do with settings - make them, adjust them, specify them?We're a mile ahead of the restaurant already
.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;
The phrase "run a mile" means:
To try to avoid a situation or a person because you are embarrassed or frightened.
Based on this definition, I wonder if you could let me know whether the following sentence sounds natural and the usage of this verb is correct:
He's completely against marriage. He runs a mile "from" girls when it comes to marriage.
I have visited many web pages which had lots of examples including the phrase, but never found a preposition "from" in even one sentences to be used along with this phrase. It was why I made up a sentence and brought it up in the forum.
word-usage idioms expressions phrases
edited 7 hours ago
choster
14.9k3666
asked 9 hours ago
A-friendA-friend
5,0501675159
add a comment |
The phrase "run a mile" means:
To try to avoid a situation or a person because you are embarrassed or frightened.
Based on this definition, I wonder if you could let me know whether the following sentence sounds natural and the usage of this verb is correct:
He's completely against marriage. He runs a mile "from" girls when it comes to marriage.
I have visited many web pages which had lots of examples including the phrase, but never found a preposition "from" in even one sentences to be used along with this phrase. It was why I made up a sentence and brought it up in the forum.
word-usage idioms expressions phrases
edited 7 hours ago
choster
14.9k3666
asked 9 hours ago
A-friendA-friend
5,0501675159
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– ColleenV♦
6 hours ago
This alleged idiom appears to have the exact opposite meaning of the old ad campaign slogan, "I'd walk a mile for a Camel!"
– Jasper
3 hours ago
add a comment |
The phrase "run a mile" means:
To try to avoid a situation or a person because you are embarrassed or frightened.
Based on this definition, I wonder if you could let me know whether the following sentence sounds natural and the usage of this verb is correct:
He's completely against marriage. He runs a mile "from" girls when it comes to marriage.
I have visited many web pages which had lots of examples including the phrase, but never found a preposition "from" in even one sentences to be used along with this phrase. It was why I made up a sentence and brought it up in the forum.
word-usage idioms expressions phrases
edited 7 hours ago
choster
14.9k3666
asked 9 hours ago
A-friendA-friend
5,0501675159
The phrase "run a mile" means:
To try to avoid a situation or a person because you are embarrassed or frightened.
Based on this definition, I wonder if you could let me know whether the following sentence sounds natural and the usage of this verb is correct:
He's completely against marriage. He runs a mile "from" girls when it comes to marriage.
I have visited many web pages which had lots of examples including the phrase, but never found a preposition "from" in even one sentences to be used along with this phrase. It was why I made up a sentence and brought it up in the forum.
word-usage idioms expressions phrases
word-usage idioms expressions phrases
edited 7 hours ago
choster
14.9k3666
asked 9 hours ago
A-friendA-friend
5,0501675159
edited 7 hours ago
choster
14.9k3666
asked 9 hours ago
A-friendA-friend
5,0501675159
edited 7 hours ago
choster
14.9k3666
edited 7 hours ago
choster
14.9k3666
edited 7 hours ago
choster
14.9k3666
14.9k3666
asked 9 hours ago
A-friendA-friend
5,0501675159
asked 9 hours ago
A-friendA-friend
5,0501675159
asked 9 hours ago
A-friendA-friend
5,0501675159
5,0501675159
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– ColleenV♦
6 hours ago
This alleged idiom appears to have the exact opposite meaning of the old ad campaign slogan, "I'd walk a mile for a Camel!"
– Jasper
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– ColleenV♦
6 hours ago
This alleged idiom appears to have the exact opposite meaning of the old ad campaign slogan, "I'd walk a mile for a Camel!"
– Jasper
3 hours ago
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– ColleenV♦
6 hours ago
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– ColleenV♦
6 hours ago
This alleged idiom appears to have the exact opposite meaning of the old ad campaign slogan, "I'd walk a mile for a Camel!"
– Jasper
3 hours ago
This alleged idiom appears to have the exact opposite meaning of the old ad campaign slogan, "I'd walk a mile for a Camel!"
– Jasper
3 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
I was surprised to see comments from native speakers unfamiliar with the expression (very well-known to me). But apparently this is primarily a British English colloquial usage...
From Cambridge Dictionary...
run a mile (UK informal)
to be extremely unwilling to be involved:
He'd run a mile if I asked him to marry me.
As it happens, the above example doesn't include a from clause, but there's no reason why it couldn't. The speaker there might just as well have said...
He'd run a mile from any girl who asked him to marry her.
We also say we'll give a wide berth to [something we really want to avoid], which often amounts to the same thing (essentially, avoiding something either by running far away from it, or by making sure you don't go anywhere near it in the first place).
answered 8 hours ago
FumbleFingersFumbleFingers
47k156126
1
I think "He'd run away from any girl..." or "He'd flee from any girl..." could also work. "run away" and "flee" can be used figuratively to mean "avoid".
– Mixolydian
7 hours ago
1
@Mixolydian: In most such contexts, flee would be a hopelessly outdated / fancy / poetic term to use today.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
@A-friend: I was too polite to explicitly mention it in my actual answer, but the intended meaning would always be so contextually obvious I'd expect any native speaker to understand and accept it without thinking it was somehow "unusual" or "opaque", even on first encounter. You don't need to include a mile, which is just an obviously-available "intensifier" here anyway, so He'd run [away] from any girl who asked him to marry her would get the point across just as well.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
I, too, was unfamiliar with run a mile — 1.62 km isn't exactly far, after all — and the phrase would be more comprehensible just to say run [away] from, or perhaps make a run from to emphasize urgency. I agree flee alone is mostly literary, but he might flee the scene, short for flee the scene of the crime, for beating a hasty exit, or keep his distance from such girls if expressing strategic caution.
– choster
7 hours ago
1
Alternatively, we Americans might just be too fat these days to comprehend running a mile from anything.
– choster
7 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
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I was surprised to see comments from native speakers unfamiliar with the expression (very well-known to me). But apparently this is primarily a British English colloquial usage...
From Cambridge Dictionary...
run a mile (UK informal)
to be extremely unwilling to be involved:
He'd run a mile if I asked him to marry me.
As it happens, the above example doesn't include a from clause, but there's no reason why it couldn't. The speaker there might just as well have said...
He'd run a mile from any girl who asked him to marry her.
We also say we'll give a wide berth to [something we really want to avoid], which often amounts to the same thing (essentially, avoiding something either by running far away from it, or by making sure you don't go anywhere near it in the first place).
answered 8 hours ago
FumbleFingersFumbleFingers
47k156126
1
I think "He'd run away from any girl..." or "He'd flee from any girl..." could also work. "run away" and "flee" can be used figuratively to mean "avoid".
– Mixolydian
7 hours ago
1
@Mixolydian: In most such contexts, flee would be a hopelessly outdated / fancy / poetic term to use today.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
@A-friend: I was too polite to explicitly mention it in my actual answer, but the intended meaning would always be so contextually obvious I'd expect any native speaker to understand and accept it without thinking it was somehow "unusual" or "opaque", even on first encounter. You don't need to include a mile, which is just an obviously-available "intensifier" here anyway, so He'd run [away] from any girl who asked him to marry her would get the point across just as well.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
I, too, was unfamiliar with run a mile — 1.62 km isn't exactly far, after all — and the phrase would be more comprehensible just to say run [away] from, or perhaps make a run from to emphasize urgency. I agree flee alone is mostly literary, but he might flee the scene, short for flee the scene of the crime, for beating a hasty exit, or keep his distance from such girls if expressing strategic caution.
– choster
7 hours ago
1
Alternatively, we Americans might just be too fat these days to comprehend running a mile from anything.
– choster
7 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
I was surprised to see comments from native speakers unfamiliar with the expression (very well-known to me). But apparently this is primarily a British English colloquial usage...
From Cambridge Dictionary...
run a mile (UK informal)
to be extremely unwilling to be involved:
He'd run a mile if I asked him to marry me.
As it happens, the above example doesn't include a from clause, but there's no reason why it couldn't. The speaker there might just as well have said...
He'd run a mile from any girl who asked him to marry her.
We also say we'll give a wide berth to [something we really want to avoid], which often amounts to the same thing (essentially, avoiding something either by running far away from it, or by making sure you don't go anywhere near it in the first place).
answered 8 hours ago
FumbleFingersFumbleFingers
47k156126
1
I think "He'd run away from any girl..." or "He'd flee from any girl..." could also work. "run away" and "flee" can be used figuratively to mean "avoid".
– Mixolydian
7 hours ago
1
@Mixolydian: In most such contexts, flee would be a hopelessly outdated / fancy / poetic term to use today.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
@A-friend: I was too polite to explicitly mention it in my actual answer, but the intended meaning would always be so contextually obvious I'd expect any native speaker to understand and accept it without thinking it was somehow "unusual" or "opaque", even on first encounter. You don't need to include a mile, which is just an obviously-available "intensifier" here anyway, so He'd run [away] from any girl who asked him to marry her would get the point across just as well.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
I, too, was unfamiliar with run a mile — 1.62 km isn't exactly far, after all — and the phrase would be more comprehensible just to say run [away] from, or perhaps make a run from to emphasize urgency. I agree flee alone is mostly literary, but he might flee the scene, short for flee the scene of the crime, for beating a hasty exit, or keep his distance from such girls if expressing strategic caution.
– choster
7 hours ago
1
Alternatively, we Americans might just be too fat these days to comprehend running a mile from anything.
– choster
7 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
I was surprised to see comments from native speakers unfamiliar with the expression (very well-known to me). But apparently this is primarily a British English colloquial usage...
From Cambridge Dictionary...
run a mile (UK informal)
to be extremely unwilling to be involved:
He'd run a mile if I asked him to marry me.
As it happens, the above example doesn't include a from clause, but there's no reason why it couldn't. The speaker there might just as well have said...
He'd run a mile from any girl who asked him to marry her.
We also say we'll give a wide berth to [something we really want to avoid], which often amounts to the same thing (essentially, avoiding something either by running far away from it, or by making sure you don't go anywhere near it in the first place).
answered 8 hours ago
FumbleFingersFumbleFingers
47k156126
I was surprised to see comments from native speakers unfamiliar with the expression (very well-known to me). But apparently this is primarily a British English colloquial usage...
From Cambridge Dictionary...
run a mile (UK informal)
to be extremely unwilling to be involved:
He'd run a mile if I asked him to marry me.
As it happens, the above example doesn't include a from clause, but there's no reason why it couldn't. The speaker there might just as well have said...
He'd run a mile from any girl who asked him to marry her.
We also say we'll give a wide berth to [something we really want to avoid], which often amounts to the same thing (essentially, avoiding something either by running far away from it, or by making sure you don't go anywhere near it in the first place).
answered 8 hours ago
FumbleFingersFumbleFingers
47k156126
edited 7 hours ago
answered 8 hours ago
FumbleFingersFumbleFingers
47k156126
answered 8 hours ago
FumbleFingersFumbleFingers
47k156126
answered 8 hours ago
FumbleFingersFumbleFingers
47k156126
47k156126
1
I think "He'd run away from any girl..." or "He'd flee from any girl..." could also work. "run away" and "flee" can be used figuratively to mean "avoid".
– Mixolydian
7 hours ago
1
@Mixolydian: In most such contexts, flee would be a hopelessly outdated / fancy / poetic term to use today.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
@A-friend: I was too polite to explicitly mention it in my actual answer, but the intended meaning would always be so contextually obvious I'd expect any native speaker to understand and accept it without thinking it was somehow "unusual" or "opaque", even on first encounter. You don't need to include a mile, which is just an obviously-available "intensifier" here anyway, so He'd run [away] from any girl who asked him to marry her would get the point across just as well.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
I, too, was unfamiliar with run a mile — 1.62 km isn't exactly far, after all — and the phrase would be more comprehensible just to say run [away] from, or perhaps make a run from to emphasize urgency. I agree flee alone is mostly literary, but he might flee the scene, short for flee the scene of the crime, for beating a hasty exit, or keep his distance from such girls if expressing strategic caution.
– choster
7 hours ago
1
Alternatively, we Americans might just be too fat these days to comprehend running a mile from anything.
– choster
7 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
1
I think "He'd run away from any girl..." or "He'd flee from any girl..." could also work. "run away" and "flee" can be used figuratively to mean "avoid".
– Mixolydian
7 hours ago
1
@Mixolydian: In most such contexts, flee would be a hopelessly outdated / fancy / poetic term to use today.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
@A-friend: I was too polite to explicitly mention it in my actual answer, but the intended meaning would always be so contextually obvious I'd expect any native speaker to understand and accept it without thinking it was somehow "unusual" or "opaque", even on first encounter. You don't need to include a mile, which is just an obviously-available "intensifier" here anyway, so He'd run [away] from any girl who asked him to marry her would get the point across just as well.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
I, too, was unfamiliar with run a mile — 1.62 km isn't exactly far, after all — and the phrase would be more comprehensible just to say run [away] from, or perhaps make a run from to emphasize urgency. I agree flee alone is mostly literary, but he might flee the scene, short for flee the scene of the crime, for beating a hasty exit, or keep his distance from such girls if expressing strategic caution.
– choster
7 hours ago
1
Alternatively, we Americans might just be too fat these days to comprehend running a mile from anything.
– choster
7 hours ago
1
1
I think "He'd run away from any girl..." or "He'd flee from any girl..." could also work. "run away" and "flee" can be used figuratively to mean "avoid".
– Mixolydian
7 hours ago
I think "He'd run away from any girl..." or "He'd flee from any girl..." could also work. "run away" and "flee" can be used figuratively to mean "avoid".
– Mixolydian
7 hours ago
1
1
@Mixolydian: In most such contexts, flee would be a hopelessly outdated / fancy / poetic term to use today.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
@Mixolydian: In most such contexts, flee would be a hopelessly outdated / fancy / poetic term to use today.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
2
@A-friend: I was too polite to explicitly mention it in my actual answer, but the intended meaning would always be so contextually obvious I'd expect any native speaker to understand and accept it without thinking it was somehow "unusual" or "opaque", even on first encounter. You don't need to include a mile, which is just an obviously-available "intensifier" here anyway, so He'd run [away] from any girl who asked him to marry her would get the point across just as well.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
@A-friend: I was too polite to explicitly mention it in my actual answer, but the intended meaning would always be so contextually obvious I'd expect any native speaker to understand and accept it without thinking it was somehow "unusual" or "opaque", even on first encounter. You don't need to include a mile, which is just an obviously-available "intensifier" here anyway, so He'd run [away] from any girl who asked him to marry her would get the point across just as well.
– FumbleFingers
7 hours ago
2
2
I, too, was unfamiliar with run a mile — 1.62 km isn't exactly far, after all — and the phrase would be more comprehensible just to say run [away] from, or perhaps make a run from to emphasize urgency. I agree flee alone is mostly literary, but he might flee the scene, short for flee the scene of the crime, for beating a hasty exit, or keep his distance from such girls if expressing strategic caution.
– choster
7 hours ago
I, too, was unfamiliar with run a mile — 1.62 km isn't exactly far, after all — and the phrase would be more comprehensible just to say run [away] from, or perhaps make a run from to emphasize urgency. I agree flee alone is mostly literary, but he might flee the scene, short for flee the scene of the crime, for beating a hasty exit, or keep his distance from such girls if expressing strategic caution.
– choster
7 hours ago
1
1
Alternatively, we Americans might just be too fat these days to comprehend running a mile from anything.
– choster
7 hours ago
Alternatively, we Americans might just be too fat these days to comprehend running a mile from anything.
– choster
7 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
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– ColleenV♦
6 hours ago
This alleged idiom appears to have the exact opposite meaning of the old ad campaign slogan, "I'd walk a mile for a Camel!"
– Jasper
3 hours ago