have the run of

have the run of

English

Verb

have the run of (third-person singular simple present has the run of, present participle having the run of, simple past and past participle had the run of)

1. (set phrase) To have permission or freedom to move around throughout an area or to use something at will.
   • 1873, Thomas Hardy, chapter 5, in A Pair of Blue Eyes:

     "[W]hilst I am looking over the documents you can ramble about the rooms where you like. I have the run of the house at any time, you know."

   • 1915, Jack London, chapter 2, in The Jacket:

     He told of his power in the prison by virtue of his being trusty in the Warden's office, and because of the fact that he had the run of the dispensary.

   • 2005 July 15, Roger Collis, "Setting priorities when planning vacations," New York Times (retrieved 23 June 2014):

     Having the run of an airport lounge takes some of the pain from flight delays, cancellations and long connecting times.

Translations

Translations

Spanish: campar a sus anchas

See also

• run of house