off and running
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.15 in modern English
21
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Launched or launching vigorously into a course of action.
Example Sentences
- "But both newspapers made the same point. . . . And so the story was off and running."
- "The train won't budge, but the film that this scene opens, the Kafkaesque Romanian comedy "California Dreamin'," is off and running."
- "[T]he recovery seems to have entered a new stage in recent months. “We’re finally off and running,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics."
Etymology
An allusion to the beginning of a footrace or horse race, when competitors rush forth out of the starting blocks or gate.