# Life on the lamb

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-on-the-lamb/352617>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 14, 2006, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-on-the-lamb/352617 "2006-04-14T03:25:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dobro\_Dullyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dobro\_Dullyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dobro_Dullyn)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-on-the-lamb/352617/1 "2006-04-14T03:25:05Z")

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Where does the term " on the lamb" come from?

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**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-on-the-lamb/352617/2 "2006-04-14T03:28:12Z")

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I see a dirty joke in here somewhere… ewe…

It’s actually “on the lam.”

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**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-on-the-lamb/352617/3 "2006-04-14T03:31:59Z")

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From wordorigin.com-

"\*On the Lam

The phrase meaning to be on the run from something dates to the turn of the 20th century. It probably comes from the English dialectical verb lam meaning to beat or to strike. To take it on the lam was to be beaten, which was usually followed by running away. Lam may ultimately be of Scandinavian origin, but that isn’t definitively known.\*"

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**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-on-the-lamb/352617/4 "2006-04-14T05:16:30Z")

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> [@Dobro Dullyn](#):
>
> Where does the term " on the lamb" come from?

Paging **Hal Briston**!  
😃

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-on-the-lamb/352617/5 "2006-04-14T12:30:03Z")

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Obligatatory Simpsons quote: Call me mint jelly cause I’m on the lamb.