to run to momma

1 8.8

To seek comfort or help from your mother like a child

phrasal verb
/rʌn tə ˈmɑːmə/

Informal

: ir con mamá

Whenever things get tough, he tends to run to momma instead of solving problems himself.

Examples

It's time to be independent and stop trying to run to momma every time you're upset.
Some people accuse her of always wanting to run to momma for advice.
He ran to momma.
Don't run to momma every time you face a challenge!
Whenever he's feeling stressed, he likes to run to momma for comfort and understanding.
It's okay to run to momma when you need support; we all need help sometimes.
She always runs to momma when she's unsure about a big decision.

How Dependent

to cling to

53 3.4

to run to momma

Informal

1 8.8

to turn to

376 2.8

to ask for help

250 1.0

Surface Forms

run to momma infinitive

running to momma present participle

runs to momma third person singular

ran to momma past

run to momma past participle

Morphology

run + to + momma

The phrase literally combines 'run' + 'to' + 'momma' so a learner who knows those words can infer going to one's mother, which naturally implies seeking comfort, protection, or help. The colloquial 'momma' and the childlike/dependent nuance are straightforward extensions of the literal meaning and are cross-linguistically familiar, making the expression immediately understandable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Run to momma comes from the clear image of a child who runs to momma when they are scared or upset. That's why we use it to mean someone 'seeks comfort or help' in a childlike, dependent way.