Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US, also run-round) a suppurative inflammatory sore or swelling in a finger or thumb.

1857		Knickerbocker (NY) XLIX. 97: There comes us a ‘run-round’ on the end of our pen-finger .
1872		T. De Witt Talmage Sermons 224: Some hypochondriac with a ‘run-around’ or a ‘hang-nail’ [DA].
1913		J. London Valley of the Moon (1914) 352: His finger was hurting too much, he said. [...] ‘It might be a run-around,’ Saxon hazarded.

2. (US prison) an area of confinement that is outside the cells proper.

1900		Daily Ardmoreite 1 May 4/3: This morning the three bellicose prisoners were taken from the run-around and placed in the dungeon of the jail [DA].
1932		Durant Daily Democrat 8 Jan. 1/3: Now a three-inch topping of concrete is being laid on the run-around of the jail, which is also a part of the roof of the lower part of the county building [DA].
1947		N. Algren Neon Wilderness (1986) 165: The sheriff kept him in the run-around in the hope that he might remember. He kept him out of the cell-block itself.

3. (orig. US, also the run) usu. constr. with the, an attempt to deceive, to delay, to put off, to avoid – usu. in order to give oneself some form of advantage, breathing space etc; usu. as get the runaround,give someone the runaround.

1913		Sun (NY) 27 July 40/2: This is what they call giving the boob the runaround.
1922		Morn. Tulsa Dly World (OK) 18 June 32/4: We give her the runaround on who was he and what did he look like [...] an’ what kind of a gazabe was he.
1927		C. Coe Me – Gangster 84: I guess mebbe you think you will do a run-around on us, eh?
1929		C. Coe Hooch! 218: He’s plannin’ to give us the run around!
1933		C.G. Booth ‘Stag Party’ in Penzler Pulp Fiction (2006) 108: Some’dy’s give you the run-around.
1940		N.Y. Age 20 July 10/5: What popular matron is getting the run-around from her most ardent admirer?
1941		F.S. Fitzgerald ‘No Harm Trying’ in Pat Hobby Stories (1967) 120: Don’t let them give you the run-around.
1952		W.R. Burnett Little Men, Big World 71: What’s the idea giving Leon the run?
1957		R. Prather Always Leave ’Em Dying 36: I wish to God everybody here would stop giving me this fancy run-around.
1960		C. Cooper Jr Syndicate (1998) 59: You said I’d get Al’s share [...] but all I got was the run-around.
1976		T. Murphy Sanctuary Lamp in Plays: 3 (1994) II i: What’s with the giving me the run around, Hymie?
1983		A. Payne ‘Get Daley!’ in Minder [TV script] 32: Chisholm’s trying to get back at Tony for the run around he gave him years ago.
1992		S. Armitage ‘Looking for Weldon Kees’ in Kid 13: Robinson who [...] was back in town / and giving me the runaround.
2003		A.N. LeBlanc Random Family 130: She spoke up for the women whenever a guard gave them the runaround.
2010		Codella and Bennett Alphaville (2011) 98: People in New York housing projects call 911 a lot. Often the EMS guys got the runaround.

4. (orig. US) a short trip, an excursion.

1954		Ties (U.S.) Dec. 14/2: Steve operates the Little Southern’s passenger train and local freight on regular-style train orders, with ‘meets’ and ‘runarounds’ carefully scheduled [OED].
1977		Time Out 28 Jan.–3 Feb. 15/3: LBC’s runaround with Alexander Walker on the week’s new films.