{"id":2022,"date":"2022-03-03T17:56:01","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T17:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=2022"},"modified":"2022-03-03T17:56:01","modified_gmt":"2022-03-03T17:56:01","slug":"errands-to-run-idiom-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/errands-to-run-idiom-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Errands to Run \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you looking for a way to end your phone call with a friend without being rude? If so, you could tell them that you have \u201cerrands to run<\/em>,\u201d and you\u2019ll call them back later. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

If you tell someone you have \u201cerrands to run,\u201d<\/em> you\u2019re usually using it as a polite way to avoid an event, like going to meet someone for coffee. Or, you could use the phrase on the phone to tell someone that you have important things to do,<\/em> and you\u2019ll call them for a social chat later after you finish.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Typically, it\u2019s an excuse to divert you from engaging with another person. The phrase can also mean that you have small tasks to do, such as picking up the mail or going to the grocery store.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t make it to the coffee shop right now; I have some errands to run. Can we schedule it for another morning?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you want to come over now, but I have errands to run, and I\u2019m not home for the rest o the morning. Call me later, and we can get together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not my fault I have errands to run, the bills are due, and someone\u2019s got to pay people, or we\u2019ll be left in the dark with no power.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t make it to the lunch this afternoon, something came up, and I have errands to run. Please tell everybody I\u2019ll see them next week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The origin of the expression \u201cerrands to run<\/em>\u201d goes back to the 1700s. No one knows who exactly coined the phrase.<\/p>\n

However, it was a common saying for homemakers in the 50s and 60s. The phrase described activities like paying bills, mailing letters, and other work involving them being out of the house, like grocery shopping.<\/p>\n

At the time, there weren\u2019t many women in the workforce, and the phrase would add importance to the efforts they made for the family outside the house.<\/p>\n

As gender roles evolved over the next 40 to 50-years, more women entered the workforce, and the use of the phrase started to describe actions taken by men or women that were of low priority.<\/p>\n