It's a line, but it's not a movie line — at least not originally.

The first recorded use is from the great American heavyweight boxer Joe Louis. He was asked about his upcoming fight with challenger Billy Conn and whether the lighter Conn would employ a hit-and-run strategy. Louis responded, "He can run, but he can't hide."

He proved himself right, knocking out Conn in the 13th round (back when title fights had 15 rounds, instead of the current 12).

It's understandable to assume the line is a movie reference — it's well-established in the English lexicon of threats, much like, "This time it's personal" (originally the tagline of 1987's "Jaws: The Revenge") and "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" (from 1972's "The Godfather") — but this classic line is instead part of the great collection of quips from well-spoken, pithy prizefighters.

It puts Louis in league with the endlessly quotable Muhammad Ali, another fighter whose mouth was as fast as his hands.

And Louis's hands were plenty fast. Also known as The Brown Bomber, Louis reigned as heavyweight champ from 1937 to 1949, defending his title 25 times, which is still a record for the sport.

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