runner
Somebody who hauls illegal liquor (or anything else that needs to move fast and quiet).
Also called liquor runner, whiskey runner, tripper.
Updated September 24, 2026
runner pronunciation
/RUN-er/
Meaning
In redneck and mountain talk, a runner is often the driver who moves moonshine or bootleg whiskey: liquor runner, whiskey runner, tripper. Souped-up cars, back roads, revenuers on your tail. The word can also mean anybody or anything that runs an errand, a plant vine that runs along the ground, or a plain old footracer. In Southern folklore the whiskey sense wears the biggest boots.
How folks use it
- “Junior started out as a runner before he ever raced on Sunday.”
- “They needed a runner who knew every switchback on that mountain.”
Origin and etymology
Straightforward agent noun from run. In the Mountain South after whiskey taxes and Prohibition, runner settled on the courier who delivered untaxed liquor. DARE surveys list runner and whiskey runner among names for illegal-liquor sellers and haulers. That road craft later fed early stock-car racing stories.
Frequently asked questions
Is a runner the same as a moonshiner?
Not always. The moonshiner makes it. The runner hauls it. Sometimes one person does both.