A wild-goose chase
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
A confused, fruitless or hopeless pursuit of something difficult to find or attain. The pursuit need not be literally chaotic, but it must be unproductive or based on misleading information. Regional use: English sporting and dramatic origin; now international English.
Origin
Wild-goose chase first named a late-sixteenth-century horsemanship contest in which riders followed a leader at set distances, resembling birds in formation; Gervase Markham described the sport in 1593. Mercutio uses the term in Romeo and Juliet around 1595 for a rapid contest of wit. Shakespeare did not invent the sporting name, and the fully modern sense of a futile pursuit grew from this disorderly following image over time.
Research Sources
Variants
- Wild goose chase
- Go on a wild-goose chase
- Lead someone on a wild-goose chase
Usage Examples
- A wrong catalogue number sent the archivist on a wild-goose chase.
- Without a confirmed address, the delivery became a wild goose chase.
- The anonymous tip led investigators on a costly wild-goose chase.