1. Also called going to Jerusalem . a game in which players march to music around two rows of chairs placed back to back, there being one chair less than the number of players, the object being to find a seat when the music stops abruptly. The player failing to do so is removed from the game, together with one chair, at each interval.
2. Informal. a situation or series of events in which jobs, decisions, prospects, etc., are changed with confusing rapidity.
[ 1875-80 ]