to chase the dollar
- idiom
- US
:
perseguir el dinero
- In the competitive business world, many entrepreneurs chase the dollar to secure their futures.
And, and a lot of that was guys that chase the dollar that became extremely wealthy.
- And, and a lot of that was guys that chase the dollar that became extremely wealthy.
- All of these corporations just chase the dollar.
Examples
-
And, and a lot of that was guys that chase the dollar that became extremely wealthy.
-
Many people today chase the dollar by investing in the stock market.
-
He chose to chase the dollar instead of pursuing his passion for art.
Synonyms
∞
3.5
To try to get something you want, like a job or a goal
How Money-Focused
- US
780
1.0
- Informal
25
2.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
A B1 learner who knows 'chase' (to pursue) and 'dollar' (currency/money) can readily infer 'chase the dollar' as 'pursue money' because the verb + object composition is literal/metonymic rather than idiomatic. The use of 'dollar' as a metonym for wealth is common across languages and the definite article does not alter the transparent pursuit meaning.
Etymology
The phrase chase the dollar comes from the clear image of someone chasing a dollar bill that blew away — like running after money you can almost touch. So, it means 'to work hard to get money' or 'to hunt for financial gain'.