go begging

English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Verb

go begging (third-person singular simple present goes begging, present participle going begging, simple past went begging, past participle gone begging)

  1. (idiomatic) To be available but wasted, unused, or not actualized.
    • 1904, David Graham Phillips, chapter 18, in The Cost:
      "Principles without leaders go begging," he replied.
    • 1957 April 8, “They're Either Too Pretty or Too Old”, in Time:
      As prosperity piles up the paperwork, the shortage becomes more severe; some 250000 secretarial jobs go begging every day.
    • 2011 June 28, Piers Newbery, “Wimbledon 2011: Sabine Lisicki beats Marion Bartoli”, in BBC Sport‎:
      Three match points went begging as that potent first serve deserted her and even a magnificent backhand lob could not stop Bartoli making it 5-5, before going on to level the match in the tie-break.
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