Did someone call you the ‘runt of the litter,’ and you don’t know what it means? What is the definition of this idiom, and where does it come from?
‘Runt of the litter’ is a phrase that can be used either literally or figuratively. Literally, it describes the smallest and weakest animal born at one time to another animal. Figuratively, it refers to the smallest or weakest person among a group of people and is frequently used to describe the smallest member of a group of siblings.
‘Runt of the litter’ can be used literally to describe the smallest animal born in a litter. It can also be used to describe the animal in a litter that is considered the least likely to survive.
The word ‘runt’ means “an animal that is smaller than average.” It is particularly used to describe the smallest animal in a litter.
‘Litter’ has many definitions, but in this usage, it is defined as “the group of young animals born to an animal at one time.” So if your cat has kittens, the collective name for all of the kittens is the ‘litter.’
There are a number of disadvantages the ‘runt of the litter’ can face, including possible rejection by its mother or competition with siblings for food and the essential resources necessary for survival. In the wild, the ‘runt of the litter’ is less likely to survive infancy.
Figuratively, this phrase can also be used to describe the weakest and smallest person in a group. This idiom is frequently used to describe the smallest and weakest person in a group of siblings.
The opposite of the ‘runt of the litter’ is the ‘pick of the litter.’
The ‘pick of the litter’ is a way to describe “the best one of a group.” It can be used literally in reference to a litter of animals, where the strongest and most desirable animal from a litter can be said to be the ‘pick of the litter.’
Just because an animal is literally the ‘runt of the litter’ or a person is figuratively considered the ‘runt of the litter,’ this doesn’t mean they can’t prevail in life. There are a number of examples in real life as well as in fictional stories about runts from various litters and their ability to succeed against the odds.
Some famous examples include:
The word ‘runt’ dates back to 1500 to describe a “decayed or old tree stump,” but the origin of this usage is unknown. By the 1540s, the meaning of the word extended to a “small ox or cow,” particularly those with the characteristics of Highlands from Scotland or Wales. By the 1610s, the word was applied generally to both ignorant people and undersized animals.
It should be noted, however, that it is unknown whether the word ‘runt’ used to describe animals is actually related to the word ‘runt’ describing an old tree stump.
It is attested that the sense of ‘runt’ meaning “the smallest of a litter,” appeared as a Shropshire word around 1841, where it was particularly used to describe pigs. Shropshire is a historic county in the West Midlands region of England. In American English, the word ‘runt’ is more general and doesn’t apply only to pigs.
‘Litter’ is a word with several definitions, but the use of the word to describe the “offspring of an animal at one birth” appears to have appeared by the late 15th century. This comes from the word ‘litter’ meaning “a bed,” which dates back to 1300, and the extension of it in the early 15th century refers to “straw used for bedding.” The connection here is that a ‘litter’ of animals is born in one bed of litter.
How would you use ‘runt of the litter’ in a sentence? Let’s look at some examples:
Are you on a roll learning English expressions and phrases? Head over to our idioms blog to keep that momentum going!
We encourage you to share this article on Twitter and Facebook. Just click those two links - you'll see why.
It's important to share the news to spread the truth. Most people won't.
