lead someone a dance (or a merry dance)
British Cause someone a great deal of trouble or worry: Gwen was leading him a merry dance...- Now it is the turn of the international financial markets to be led a merry dance by Argentina.
- The solicitors then tried to find the conveyancing file. They were led a merry dance in their search for this file, and in the end they eventually located it through approaching a successor firm.
- Carlow were led a merry dance by Offaly in the semi-final of the Leinster Vocational Schools SFC in Stradbally on Friday.
See parent entry: dance