Etymology Journal ยท R
Run it up the flagpole
Meaning
- To present a new idea or proposal to others to see how they react. It is about testing the waters with a preliminary plan before committing to it entirely.
Business-like, cautious
Used in a sentence
- I have a plan to reorganize the schedule, but I want to run it up the flagpole first.
- Let us run it up the flagpole and see if the management team likes the direction.
- It is a bold concept, so we should run it up the flagpole with the marketing department.
The backstory
This phrase originated in the advertising world of the mid-20th century. It implies that if you fly an idea up the flagpole, you wait to see who salutes it, or in other words, who supports it.
Heard in
Nationwide
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