English
Alternative spellings
wild goose chase
Etymology
Originally a type of 16th century horse race where everyone had to try and follow the erratic course of the lead horse, like wild geese have to follow their leader in formation. 1
Noun
en-noun|sg=wild-goose chase idiom
- figuratively A futile search, a fruitless errand; a useless and often lengthy pursuit.
#: I went on a wild-goose chase all over the town looking for that book until I discovered it was out of print.
Usage notes
As wild-goose chase literally means "a chase for wild geese", it is properly hyphenated as shown. The form without the hyphen is also commonly seen, but this is strictly incorrect as it can suggest it is the chase that is wild rather than the geese chased.
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