to hold the road / to hold water, to be valid, to make sense

(informal) in droves, in spades (in large quantities)

(informal) behind the times, lagging behind

in flight / as one goes / on the fly / steadily, continuously

to take flight, to leave suddenly and unexpectedly, to fly the coop

hastily, hurriedly / on the sly (used especially of selling in the street or on the beach)

down-and-out

(figuratively) to bribe, grease someone's palm

up to the task

coarsely, roughly, carelessly