chair

grab a chair and grab a seat

Fig. to quickly sit down in a seat. Grab a chair and join the group!

See also: grab

keep one's chair and keep one's seat

Fig. to stay seated; to remain in one's chair or place. That's all right. Keep your chair. I'll find my own way out. Please keep your seats until after the question-and-answer period.

See also: keep

play first chair 

1. to be the leader of a section of instruments in an orchestra or a band. (More literal than the following sense.) Sally learned to play the violin so well that she now plays first chair in the orchestra. I'm going to practice my flute so I can play first chair.

2. Fig. to act as a leader. I need to get this job done. Who plays first chair around here? You're not the boss! You don't play first chair.

See also: first, play

Pull up a chair.

Please get a chair and sit down and join us. (Assumes that there is seating available. The speaker does not necessarily mean that the person spoken to actually has to move a chair.) Tom: Well, hello, Bob! Bob: Hi, Tom. Pull up a chair. The three men were sitting at a table for four. Bob came up and said hello. Bill said, "Pull up a chair." Bob sat in the fourth chair at the table.

See also: pull, up

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keep somebody on the edge of their seat  (British, American & Australian) also keep somebody on the edge of their chair (American)

if a story keeps you on the edge of your seat, it is very exciting and you want to know what is going to happen next You must rent this video. It keeps you on the edge of your seat right up to the end.

See also: edge, keep, seat

nearly fall off your chair

to be very surprised about something When my mother told me she was getting remarried I nearly fell off my chair.

See also: fall, nearly

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keep you on the edge of your seat also keep you on the edge of your chair

to make you very excited or nervous because of uncertainty It was one of those movies that was so suspenseful, it kept you on the edge of your seat right through to the end.

See also: edge, keep, seat

play musical chairs

to move people from one organization or job to another The teams play musical chairs at that position - all of the top punters have played for at least two teams.

Usage notes: also used in the form a game of musical chairs: Buckley was reassigned in a game of corporate musical chairs Thursday.

Etymology: based on the children's game in which there is one more player than there are chairs and the players walk in a circle around the chairs until music stops playing, at which time they hurry to the nearest empty chair

See also: musical, play

pull up a chair

to move a chair so you can sit with others in a group We're just talking about the picnic on Saturday - why don't you pull up a chair?

Usage notes: often used as an invitation, as in the example

See also: pull, up