On the lam means ''running away'' or ''being a fugitive from the law''; bureaucrats would say ''in escape status. '' The origin of the expression is in heated dispute among slang etymologists. In The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, J.E.

Why do they say on the lam?

The phrase on the lam first emerged in the late 19th century as to do a lam, a slang expression defined in an 1897 article in Popular Science as simply “to run.” (Alongside it, we're told Victorian criminals were already taking kips when they fell asleep, were rubbernecking when listening in on others' conversations, ...

How many people are on the lam?

What's It's Like To Live On The Lam : NPR. What's It's Like To Live On The Lam The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates there are some 6,500 fugitives on the run from U.S. authorities. Their crimes range from missed child support payments to murder, but most share an ability to live quiet lives under the radar.