Definition

Noun: 1. A traditional outdoor running game: A game where one team (the "hares") runs ahead, leaving a trail of paper scraps for the other team (the "hounds") to follow in pursuit, with the goal of catching the hares before they reach a predetermined finish point.

Usage

• Noun:
  • The children organized a paper chase in the large park.
  • Paper chase was a popular game at summer camps in the past.

Advanced Usage

• Metaphorical Use: The term can be used metaphorically to describe any situation involving a prolonged pursuit or a complex search for clues.
  • The investigation turned into a bureaucratic paper chase through old archives.

Variants and Related Words

• Hare and hounds: Another name for the same game.
• Trail: The path of paper scraps left by the hares.

Synonyms

• Pursuit game
• Trail game

Related Idioms

• A wild goose chase: A futile search or pursuit. (Note: This idiom shares the concept of a chase but implies it is pointless, unlike an organized paper chase.)

Noun

1. an outdoor game; one group of players (the hares) start off on a long run scattering bits of paper (the scent) and pursuers (the hounds) try to catch them before they reach a designated spot