A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
adjectival phrase run down—exhausted and weak: The doctor
said I was completely run down and I need to change my
lifestyle.
give someone a run-through • run someone
through
give someone a run-through —(coll.) give a person a brief sur-
vey of facts (also: give someone a run-down): I asked Dr. Leake
(my mentor here) to give me a run-through on some critical
astronomy concepts.
run someone through —pierce or stab smb., as with a sword,
etc.: Thorn is the tough, gritty warrior who wouldn’t think
twice to run someone through, especially when her life is on
the line.
give someone a rush • give someone the bum’s
rush
give someone a rush —(sl.) 
1
. bestow lavish attention on a girl
or woman: An actor gives her a mild rush, and she dreams of
a glamorous life with him. 2. give a person a feeling of exhil-
– 143 –
give someone a rush

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aration: Methadone is addictive, too, but it doesn’t give the
pleasurable “rush” that heroin addicts speak of.
give someone the bum’s rush —(sl.) throw smb. out or dismiss
unceremoniously: That I was given the bum’s rush is under-
standable under the circumstances, but not excusable for a
fellow in the hospitality business.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase bum rush something—(sl.) stampede or crash into an
area: Police “bum rushed” the house where they found the
gun they say is Jamison’s.
give someone a shake • give someone the shake
give someone a shake —(coll.)
1
. shake a sleeper to rouse him:
I thought he was sleeping, so I gave him a shake to wake him
up. 2. rouse smb. to action: Danny was not playing as well as
he is now at the start of the season. We needed some way to
give him a shake. 3. make a person suffer a nervous shock: It
gave me such a shake as I never had before; I haven’t felt like
myself ever since.