| 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 |