What does "on the lam" mean?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
"On a lam" is a slang phrase that means to be running away from something; to be running away from the law for committing a crime. I'm unsure about British English, but this expression isn't very popular in American English. We usually say "on the run" instead. Ex: The thief was on the lam for a long time. Ex: Many criminals are on the lam to avoid prosecution.