run like a dry creek

present singular third person runs like a dry creek · participle present running like a dry creek · past ran like a dry creek

1. UScolloquialsimilegovernmentTo run for political office with little chance of success.

   One Illinois delegate said, "I saw Lodge on television today, and he'll run like a dry creek."

   2009, W. J. Rorabaugh, The Real Making of the President

   2 more examples

   The Scripps-Howard newspapers, which are supporting Eisenhower, criticized Ike for "running like a dry creek."

   1952, LIFE, volume 33, number 10, page 49

   The last of the six candidates, Stephen Dorrell, did not even get off the starting-blocks. His campaign ran like a dry creek from day one.

   1997, New Statesman, page 18

2. UScolloquialsimileTo run (in various senses) badly or not at all.

   The days stretch ahead, dull and tedious, and the camp seems to be doing nothing, going nowhere, running like a dry creek.

   1989, David L. Moore, Dark Sky, Dark Land

   2 more examples

   Carlyle had a brief trial in the big leagues with the Red Sox and the Yankees. But he ran like a dry creek and was weak of arm.

   1956, American Mercury, volume 83, number 390, page 153

   The League knew little about lobbving and its cash flow ran like a dry creek. Small and big business were against a consumer cooperative bank bill.

   1985, Jay Richter, Where credit was due: the creation of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank, page 24