Chivvy (along)

To chivvy is to harass persistently and dates from the late 18th century. It is merely a variation of chevy, a word meaning a hunt or chase, which derives from the anonymous English ballad Chevy Chase written c.1430 describing a border skirmish between English and Scottish nobles over land and hunting rights. The ballad tells of a headlong chase and pursuit and the word derives its current meaning from this sense of harassment.