beat the bushes

to search everywhere for someone or something We don't have to beat the bushes to get good photographs - they mostly come to us from photographers we know.

Etymology: based on the practice in hunting of having someone hit bushes with a stick in order to force birds hiding in them to fly up into the air to be shot

beat the bushes

(American)

to try very hard to get or achieve something She's not out there beating the bushes for a job - she's just as happy not working.

beat the bushes

To make an exhaustive search.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Chelo	CHE-lo	Spanish
Onyeka	-	Western African, Igbo
Oden	-	Norse Mythology
Hanako	hah-nah-ko	Japanese
Baillif	['beilif]
Olavi	O-lah-vee (Finnish)	Finnish, Estonian