2. (various).—A tout: e.g. (Stock Exchange) = a broker's assistant with a private canvassing connection; (racing) = a messenger stationed at a telegraph office to get early information; (old gaming) = see quot. 1731 (Bailey); (American) = (1) a steamboat and railroad tout: see ticket-scalper; and (2) a commercial traveller.
1731. St. James's Evg. Post [Sydney, Eng. in 18th Cent., i. 229]. List of officers attached to the most notorious gaining houses . . . a runner, who is to get intelligence of the justices' meetings, and when the constables are out.
1828. Smeaton, Doings in London, 'Humours of the Fleet.' Now mean as once profuse, the stupid sot Sits by a runner's side and damns his lot.
1869. Fraser's Mag., 'British Merchant Seamen.' The "touter," whose business it is to attract the sailor to his master's lodgings by the judicious loan of money, the offer of grog or soft tack (bread); the runner, who volunteers to carry his box of clothes and bedding free of charge to the same destination.
3. (old).—A police officer: also Bow-street runner: in quot. 1383 = a sheriff's officer.
1383. Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, 'Friar's Tale,' Prol. 19. A Sompnour is a renner up and down.
c. 1820. T. Hudson. . . . They straightway sent to Bow-street for the famous old runner, Townsend.
1825. Scott, St. Ronan's Well, iii. Constables. Bow-street runners, and such like.
1839. Dickens, Oliver Twist, xxx. 'It's the runners,' cried Brittles. . . . 'The what?'. . . 'The Bow-street officers, sir.'
4. (common).—A wave: cf. roller.
5. (nautical).—A smuggler. Also a crimp; a single rope rove through a moveable block; and (formerly) a vessel sailing without a convoy in time of war. [Clark Russell].
c. 1730. North, Lives of the Norths, II. iii. The unfair traders and runners will undersell us. Ibid., Examen, 490. Runners and trickers . . . that cover a contraband trade.
Runner-up, subs. phr. (common).—1.
In coursing the hound taking
second prize, losing only the final
course against the winner; whence
(2) any competitor running
second or taking second place;
whence run-up = the race from
the slips to the first turn of the
hare: see to run up.
1884. Field, 6 Dec. The falling together of last year's winner and runner-up.
Running, subs. (racing).—Pace;
staying power. Whence, in (or
out) of the running = (1) in
(or out) of competition; (2)
qualified (or not); (3) likely to
win (or not); to make good
running = to do well; to make
good one's running = to do as
well as one's rival; to make
the running = to force the pace;
spec. (racing) to start a second-rate
horse at a high speed with a
view of giving a better chance to
a 'stayer' belonging to the same
owner; to take up the running
= (1) to increase one's pace,
(2) to take the lead or most active
part.
1858. Trollope, Dr. Thorne, v. But silence was not dear to the heart of the honourable John, and so he took up the running. Ibid. (1864). Small House at Allington, ii. The world had esteemed him when he first made good his running with the Lady Fanny.
1861. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, xxxvi. Ben Caunt was to make the running for Haphazard.
