shuttle

shuttle diplomacy

An act, instance, or practice of carrying out discussions or negotiations between two parties who refuse to communicate with one another directly. The ambassador has been on a mission of shuttle diplomacy, trying to broker a peace deal between the two warring nations.

See also: diplomacy, shuttle

shuttle from (someone) to (someone else)

1. To move from one person or group of authority to another in quick succession. I've been shuttling from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what has been going on with my stomach problems. She shuttled from one foster home to another throughout her childhood, so she's never had a strong sense of family.

2. To move someone or something from the care or responsibility of one person or group to that of another, especially in quick succession. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "shuttle" and "from." When I was growing up, I was constantly shuttled from my grandparents to my parents and back again. The insurance company has been shuttling me from one adviser to another in order to get my claim sorted out.

See also: shuttle

shuttle from (something or some place) to (something or some place)

1. To move from one location to another in quick succession by or as by shuttle. We shuttled from New York, to Los Angeles, to Nevada, and then back to New York again in the span of six months. We're paying a little extra to shuttle from the airport directly to the hotel.

2. To transport someone or something from one location, event, or activity to another by or as by shuttle. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "shuttle" and "from." The school is asking for volunteers to shuttle students from school to the museum for their field trip. I've been shuttling this artwork from exhibit to exhibit all around the country.

3. To visit or travel between multiple places or things in quick succession. As the lead coordinator, I spent most of the day shuttling from one site of the festival to another to make sure everything was running smoothly.

4. To cause or direct someone to visit or travel multiple places or things in quick succession. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "shuttle" and "from." Upper management kept shuttling Sarah from department to department, trying to pressure her to quit so they wouldn't have to pay severance. The insurance company shuttled us from one hotel to another while they investigated the damage to our house.

See also: shuttle

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

shuttle someone or something from (person to person)

 and shuttle someone or something from place to place

(Specific persons or places are sometimes expressed.) to move or pass someone or something from person to person; to move or pass someone or something from place to place. My phone call was shuttled from person to person. Mary shuttled her children from home to school to practice.

See also: shuttle

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.