Hard: Run rings around someone
Hard: Run rings around someone
Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.
This episode is hard so we’re looking at more difficult football phrases and idioms.
Summary
Learn more football vocabulary with Premier Skills English. Each lesson in our Premier Vocabulary section looks at one football word or phrase. This lesson looks at the phrase to run rings around somebody.
You can find more lessons on the side of this page.
Transcript
Rich: Hello my name’s Rich and welcome to Premier Skills English - Premier Vocabulary.
Jack: Hi there! I’m Jack. We’re here to help you with your football English. Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time.
Rich: We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.
Jack: This episode is hard so we’re looking at more difficult football phrases and idioms.
Rich: The phrase we are looking at in this episode is: to run rings around someone.
Jack: To run rings around someone is an idiom which is used to describe being much better at something than someone else.
Rich: I used to run rings around my son at chess.
Jack: You used to run rings around him? He’s only ten.
Rich: Yeah, he’s already better than me. He’s running around me now. He always wins.
Jack: The phrase originally comes from horse racing and was used to describe one horse that ran around the ring much faster than the others.
Rich: The phrase is used in sport a lot when one player or team is far better than another. Liverpool have run rings around their opponents this season.
Jack: You’re right. Another example might be: the United midfield ran rings around the Arsenal players today.
Rich: This would probably mean that the United midfield was in total control and the Arsenal players hardly had any possession of the football.
Jack: The phrase also conjures up the idea that the person who has rings around them is made to look a little foolish or silly.
Rich: I might not want to play sport against a professional because he or she would run rings around me.
Jack: I might not want to a live political debate with an experienced politician because he or she would run rings around me.
Rich: In both of these cases we are worried that we would look a bit silly because the other person can do something far better.
Jack: To run rings around someone. To be much better at doing something than someone else.
Rich: There is the final whistle!
Jack: We’ll be back soon with more Premier Vocabulary from Premier Skills English.
Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football.
Comment
Discuss
Has anyone ever ran rings around you?
Which players can run rings around defenders?
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Comments
20/02/2022
points
I’ve never have someone run rings around me.
20/02/2022 13:27
Manchester United
738
I’ve never have someone run rings around me.
13/05/2021
points
My cousin when we were children. He was pretty much smart and intelligent. Any kind of play that we decided to do was easier to him. He had ran rings around us every time!
I think players with skills to control the ball and change rythms with it are more able to run rings around deffenders, such as Neymar.
13/05/2021 15:25
Arsenal
1512
My cousin when we were children. He was pretty much smart and intelligent. Any kind of play that we decided to do was easier to him. He had ran rings around us every time!
I think players with skills to control the ball and change rythms with it are more able to run rings around deffenders, such as Neymar.
25/07/2020
points
Hi lads!
When I was a kid and played as a defender my opponents ever ran rings around me. It was disgussed. So, the coach exchanged my position and I became a good striker.
Nowadays I think that Neymar, Sancho, Pulisic and Adama Traore run rings around the defenders.
By for now!
25/07/2020 03:20
Leeds United
399
Hi lads!
When I was a kid and played as a defender my opponents ever ran rings around me. It was disgussed. So, the coach exchanged my position and I became a good striker.
Nowadays I think that Neymar, Sancho, Pulisic and Adama Traore run rings around the defenders.
By for now!
25/07/2020
points
Yes. My brother rans rings around me on video game. He always wins.
Lione Messi, he often runs rings arountd the denfenders.
25/07/2020 00:00
Manchester City
185
Yes. My brother rans rings around me on video game. He always wins.
Lione Messi, he often runs rings arountd the denfenders.
24/07/2020
points
I think there are a few players who can run rings around defenders in the Premier League such as Marcus Rashford , Adama Troare and Christian Pulisic and for sure in other leagues the best 4 players in the world who are Lionel Messi , Cristiano Ronaldo , Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski.
24/07/2020 18:16
Manchester United
6536
I think there are a few players who can run rings around defenders in the Premier League such as Marcus Rashford , Adama Troare and Christian Pulisic and for sure in other leagues the best 4 players in the world who are Lionel Messi , Cristiano Ronaldo , Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski.
24/07/2020
points
When I was young , I was good at basketball but when I tried to play with some professionals . they ran rings around me because they were taller and more experienced.
24/07/2020 18:11
Manchester United
6536
When I was young , I was good at basketball but when I tried to play with some professionals . they ran rings around me because they were taller and more experienced.
24/07/2020
points
"Has anyone ever ran rings around you?"
Either "Did....run....?" or "Has....run....?" Tertium non datur.
24/07/2020 03:14
Liverpool
6570
"Has anyone ever ran rings around you?"
Either "Did....run....?" or "Has....run....?" Tertium non datur.
23/07/2020
points
Nowadays it's hard to find gurus in attack able to run rings around defenders: the latter have become a lot wiser than in the past. The collective play used today by the majority of high-rank clubs also prevents seeing this on the pitch.
23/07/2020 15:39
Liverpool
6570
Nowadays it's hard to find gurus in attack able to run rings around defenders: the latter have become a lot wiser than in the past. The collective play used today by the majority of high-rank clubs also prevents seeing this on the pitch.
23/07/2020
points
No politician will ever run rings around me because I won't allow myself being run rings around me fooled by snake-like people. I'd better run for life. :-)
23/07/2020 15:31
Liverpool
6570
No politician will ever run rings around me because I won't allow myself being run rings around me fooled by snake-like people. I'd better run for life. :-)