off and running
adjEtymology An allusion to the beginning of a footrace or horse race, when competitors rush forth out of the starting blocks or gate.
1
Idiomatic Launched or launching vigorously into a course of action.
- But both newspapers made the same point. . . . And so the story was off and running.2000 July 24, Felicity Barringer, “Running on Adrenaline And Ideology at The Post”, in New York Times, retrieved 16 Apr 2015:
- The train won't budge, but the film that this scene opens, the Kafkaesque Romanian comedy "California Dreamin'," is off and running.2007 October 27, Jessica Au, “When Movies Follow The Storm”, in Newsweek, retrieved 16 Apr 2015:
1 more example
- [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.2014 December 14, Jay Fitzgerald, “Economic recovery starts gaining steam”, in Boston Globe, retrieved 16 Apr 2015:
- Related terms
- off to the races