Tip and Run Raid
Preserved but no longer current.
A phrase used in World War II when hostile aircraft flew in across the sea, hurriedly — and often indiscriminately — dropped their bombs, and immediately sped homewards. So called from the light-hearted form of holiday cricket in which the batsman is forced to run every time he touches the ball.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Tip and Run Raid” mean?
A phrase used in World War II when hostile aircraft flew in across the sea, hurriedly — and often indiscriminately — dropped their bombs, and immediately sped homewards. So called from the light-hearted form of holiday cricket in which the batsman is forced to run every time he touches the ball.
Is “Tip and Run Raid” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.