Run off with VERSUS run through

[Haihao]

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #150 "Idioms with the phrasal verb run", question 4

My parents were very disappointed when they found out that I had ......... all their money.

(a) run off with
(b) run for
(c) run against
(d) run through

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #150 "Idioms with the phrasal verb run", answer 4

My parents were very disappointed when they found out that I had run off with all their money.

Correct answer: (a) run off with

Your answer was: incorrect
My parents were very disappointed when they found out that I had run through all their money.
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Hi,

I thought run through was as good a choice as run off with when it means use up quickly. Am I right?

haihao

[Ron1970]

"run through" has more than one meaning.

The near-literal meaning is to go through, as in charge through something. To penetrate or pierce.

The figurative meaning is go over or orient someone on something. Giving pointers.

The idiom "run of with" means to escape or get away with something, usually associated with theft.

[Alan]

Hi Haihao,

Run off with can be replaced with the words 'abscond with', which usually suggests somebody has helped themselves to money without permission and run away. I think this is suggested in the sentence by using the words when they found out. On the other hand your choice of 'run through' can be used to describe spending money carelessly and very quickly.

A
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Colour Idioms

[Haihao]

Hi Alan and Ron,

Thank you for your detailed explanation, which made the both phrasal verbs very clear to me. But just for an 'expanded' thought and learning, I still wonder if I could rearrange the original sentence as:

1. My parents were despairing when they found out that I had run off with all their money. (Their own daughter/son acted like a ruthless thief to themselves)

2. My parents were very disappointed when they found out that I had run through all their money. (Their daughter/son acted very badly like a squanderer, at worst)

In this sense, I wonder if 'run through' could even be a better choice for the test. Could I think this way?

haihao

[Yankee]

Hi Haihao

I think you can look at it this way:

If it had been a case of running through your parents' money, it is quite likely that your parents would have noticed a problem before all of the money was gone and put a stop to it. Although you can run through money relatively quickly, it doesn't happen all at once.

If a child had run off with all the parents' money, the money would have disappeared all at once and the parents would only find out that something was wrong when they suddenly discover that their bank account balance is zero (i.e. all of the money is suddenly gone).

Amy

[Haihao]

Thank you for this too, Amy, and now I am sure I can have a sound sleep tonight but I realized at the same time that I may have ruined yours or taken up too much of your time so I am sorry and thank you so very much for your ever and again patience and kindness with me.

haihao