To do "in the spirit of the chase"

Posted by The Fallen on February 11, 2002

In Reply to: To do "in the spirit of the chase" posted by Pepe on February 11, 2002

: I'm a Mexican pursuing a better understanding of english. I found this phrase in a recent article and I would love to find out if my interpretation was correct. After a whole day of research, my best try is "to do something with the best intention" either mistakenly or correctly. Any expert opinion?

: Sincere Thanks,
: Pepe
: P.S.: Sorry if it's a too naive question

Not at all. It's a good question, and I think you'll find a number of people giving you a variety of slightly differing answers. English is like that sometimes - it can be difficult to give an exact meaning to an expression or idiom.

So... to do something "in the spirit of the chase". It's clearly an image from the world of hunting, and to me, it means to do something where it's the attempt that is all important, and not the result - where the enjoyment is gained through the competition. Related phrases are "the thrill of the chase" and "it's not the winning, it's the taking part that counts."

Hope this helps.

• Spirit of ESC 02/12/02