chase (redirected from chasing)

*after someone or something 

1. Lit. following someone or something. (*Typically: be ~; Come ~.) Tom comes after Mary in the line.

2. Fig. in pursuit of someone or something. (*Typically: be ~; chase ~; run ~.) The dog is after a rabbit.

See also: after

always chasing rainbows

tending to look for something (more) exciting and (more) rewarding but without realistic expectations. He can't seem to settle down and enjoy life. He's always chasing rainbows.

See also: always, rainbow

chase someone or something around

to follow someone or something around in pursuit. (There is an implication that the person or thing pursued is attempting to elude whatever is in pursuit.) The dog chased us around in play. It chased around all the children.

See also: around

chase someone or something down

to track down and seize someone or something. Larry set out to chase the pickpocket down. The police chased down the suspect.

chase someone or something up

to seek someone or something out; to look high and low for someone or something. I will chase Tom up for you. I will try to chase up a buyer for your car.

See also: up

chase someone or something up something

to drive someone or an animal up something, such as a tree, a hill, a cliff, etc. The ranchers chased the mountain lion up a tree. The bull chased the rodeo clown up into the stands.

See also: up

chase someone or something(away) from some place and chase someone or something out of some place

to drive someone or something away from or out of a place. The police sirens chased the thief from the building. We chased away all the children from the pond.

See also: place, some

chase someone (or an animal) in(to) some place and chase someone or an animal in

to drive someone or an animal into a place of confinement. They chased all the cattle into the corral. The cowboys chased in the cattle.

See also: place, some

chase around after someone or something

to look here and there for something; to seek someone or something in many different places. I don't want to have to spend a whole day chasing around after exotic ingredients for this recipe of yours. I chased around after Roger and never found him.

See also: after, around

cut to the chase

Sl. to focus on what is important; to abandon the preliminaries and deal with the major points. All right, let's stop the idle chatter and cut to the chase. After a few introductory comments, we cut to the chase and began negotiating.

See also: cut

give chase (to someone or something)

to chase someone or something. The dogs gave chase to the fox. A mouse ran by, but the cat was too tired to give chase.

See also: give

Go chase yourself! and Go climb a tree!; Go fly a kite!; Go jump in the lake!

Inf. Go away and stop bothering me! Bob: Get out of here. Bill! You're driving mecrazy! Go chase yourself'. Bill: What did I do to you? Bob: You're just in the way. Bill: Dad, can I have ten bucks? Father: Go climb a tree! Fred: Stop pestering me, John. Go jump in the lake! John: What did I do? Bob: Well, Bill, don't you owe me some money? Bill: Go fly a kite!

lead someone on a merry chase

Fig. to lead someone in a purposeless pursuit. What a waste of time. You really led me on a merry chase. Jane led Bill on a merry chase trying to find an antique lamp.

See also: lead, merry

send someone on a wild-goose chase

Fig. to send someone on a pointless or futile search. You sent me on a wild-goose chase! There are no straw hats for sale anywhere in town! Fred was sent on a wild-goose chase while his friends prepared a surprise party for him.

See also: send

wild-goose chase

a worthless hunt or chase; a futile pursuit. I wasted all afternoon on a wild-goose chase. John was angry because he was sent out on a wild-goose chase.

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a paper chase  (American & Australian)

the activity of dealing with many different documents in order to achieve something To receive even the smallest amount of financial aid from a college, it's a real paper chase.

See also: paper

a wild-goose chase

a situation where you waste time looking for something that you are not going to find, either because that thing does not exist or because you have been given wrong information about it After two hours spent wandering in the snow, I realised we were on a wild-goose chase. When I found out that there was no Anita Hill at the university, I began to suspect that I had been sent on a wild-goose chase.

be chasing your tail

to be very busy doing a lot of things, but achieving very little I've been chasing my tail all morning trying to fix a day when everyone can attend.

See also: tail

chase rainbows

to waste your time trying to get or achieve something impossible (usually in continuous tenses) I don't think my parents ever believed I'd make it as an actor. I think they thought I was just chasing rainbows.

See also: rainbow

chase the dragon

to take heroin (= a powerful drug which is taken illegally for pleasure) by smoking it The drug can be smoked, which is known as chasing the dragon.

See cut to the chase

cut to the chase  (informal)

to talk about or deal with the important parts of a subject and not waste time with things that are not important I didn't have long to talk to him so I cut to the chase and asked whether he was still married.

See also: cut

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chasing rainbows

trying to achieve something that is not possible or practical He wanted to go into show business, but friends told him to quit chasing rainbows.

See also: rainbow

cut to the chase

to say what is important without delay The engine is the only thing wrong with the car - to cut to the chase, it is loud, really loud.

Etymology: based on the idea that, when describing a movie, the writer can cut (interrupt) the story and explain the exciting parts, which usually involve a chase

See also: cut