run off
In Appalachian and Southern speech, "run off" can mean to leave quickly, chase someone or something away, or in farming, to describe water or soil washing away after heavy rain.
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When something leaves fast, we usually say it 'took off'. But if you want something to get away from you, you wanna holler 'git' if you want to 'run it off.' This one is definitely still in use. Pronunciation
Meaning & Usage
- Leave Quickly (verb)
Why'd you run off?I saw Clyde a'comin'.- Chase Away (verb)
Where’s Clyde?- Water or Soil Wash Away (noun/verb, farming)
That run off from that gullywarsher left with half my topsoil.Origin
From the literal action of running away or causing something to run away. The agricultural sense comes from the way rainwater "runs off" fields and takes soil with it. All uses have deep roots in English, with "run off" appearing in print since the 1500s.
Notes
The phrase is flexible - it can be used casually for people ("he run off to the store"), for animals ("the cat run off"), or for land and water management. In Appalachian speech, "run off" often uses the past tense "run" instead of "ran."
Say It Like a Southerner
Say "run" with a soft "uh" vowel, and "off" with the vowel flattened toward "awf." In quick speech it can sound like "runnawf." Tone and pacing depend on meaning - fast and sharp if someone’s fleeing, steady if you’re talking about rainwater.