# chase one's tail

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/chase-ones-tail
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To busily try to perform many tasks or to repeatedly revise one's plans, especially with inefficient use of one's time and limited results.

## Examples

- I am just chasing my tail with all this housework.
- You are just chasing your tail by replying to every single spam email.
- She chases her tail every day because she does not use a calendar.
- Without a clear plan for the project, the team spent all week chasing their tails and finished nothing.
- I spent the entire morning chasing my tail trying to find that missing invoice before realizing I never actually printed it.
- The store manager was chasing his tail all day because three employees called in sick during the busiest holiday sale.
- Instead of fixing the engine, the mechanic kept chasing his tail by replacing small parts that were not even broken.
- Despite his frantic efforts to organize the chaotic filing system, he felt as though he were merely chasing his tail, achieving no real progress by the end of the day.

## Origin

From obsessive behavior observed in some dogs. The figurative sense refers to the frenzied activity without any useful purpose inherent in this behavior (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.