 Re: fair game
No - and you've taken my explanation out of context. You were then talking specifically about a suspect, not a wanted criminal. A suspect is an ordinary person without restrictions, and can therefore be wherever they want to be. When you're talking about a suspect, none of these expressions is really relevant. There is no reason why they should not be "free" or "under control".
You must distinguish between a suspect and a wanted criminal. To summarise:
If a criminal - ie someone who the police want to arrest for a crime - is in hiding and cannot be found, then s/he can be described as "on the loose", "at large" or "on the run" - all three are fine.
- on the loose : free, potentially dangerous or disruptive and not under control
- at large : free, potentially dangerous or disruptive and not under control
- on the run : free, wanted by and in hiding from the police
I don't think there's any more I can say about these expressions. Perhaps someone else could clarify them better. |