chair

A situation in which people or things are moved, shuffled, or rearranged from one position to another. After the boss resigned, it was a regular game of musical chairs in the company to figure out who would take over for whom. It's been a game of musical chairs trying to create enough space in the living room for Alex's birthday party this weekend.

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

Move around from position to position, such as the jobs in an organization. For example, Bob took over for Tom, who took over for Mary, who got Bob's title-the boss loves to play musical chairs with the staff . This expression alludes to the children's game in which children walk around a number of seats while music plays, and there is one less chair than players. When the music stops the players must sit down, and the player who is left standing is eliminated. Then another chair is removed, and the game goes on until only one player is left sitting. [c. 1900]