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Sun 22 Apr, 2012 03:58 pm
Hi,
I saw this phrase in a Financial Time article:
It was during the South Sea bubble that someone set up “a company for carrying out an undertaking of great advantage, but nobody to know what it is”. That stock promoter in 1720 raised £2,000 and then did a runner to France.
I understand the expression " to do a runner" but I don't know what it means here. Can somebody explain?
Thanks
@languagenerd,
The promoter left for France in a hurry! Probably taking the funds raised with him.
@languagenerd,
A very informal phrase, meaning to abscond.
I think this person is tagging "to" onto the phrase "do a runner," and causing unnecessary confustion. The preposition "to" is not a part of the stock phrase, it is simply used in this case to indicate the destination in this example, France.
@Setanta,
Since you've accurately described what that 'to' does, that makes your first sentence nonsense. The 'to' is not tagged onto any phrase.
@McTag,
Kind of like "scarper" then, eh McTag?
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