# Term "On the lam"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-on-the-lam/7814>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 28, 2000, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-on-the-lam/7814 "2000-02-28T04:22:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mcgoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@mcgoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgoo)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-on-the-lam/7814/1 "2000-02-28T04:22:00Z")

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Where does the term “on the Lam” originate?

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**Author:** ![Rahul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@Rahul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rahul)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-on-the-lam/7814/2 "2000-02-28T04:29:00Z")

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## See: [http://www.takeourword.com/et\_k-m.html#lam](http://www.takeourword.com/et_k-m.html#lam) and I quote:

## Lam, as in on the lam, first appears in 1897 and comes from the verb lam which means `run away.' It is of unknown origin, but sometimes attempts are made to connect it to lam `beat,’ as in lambaste. This connection becomes clearer if one considers that beat it also means `run away,’ and one source indicates that this meaning of beat it is Old English. I have seen nothing to substantiate that, however.

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**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\
**Post date:** [February 29, 2000, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-on-the-lam/7814/3 "2000-02-29T06:54:00Z")

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I thought it was “on the lamb”, referring to beastialic, pedophillic shepherds. 😃 😃

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