What does ‘a wild-goose chase’ mean?
To “a wild-goose chase” means to a hopeless or pointless pursuit. Brewer's records the phrase from an old form of horse race in which one rider set an erratic course and the others had to follow, like a flock of geese; hence any zigzagging, futile pursuit.
Origin
- Brewer's records the phrase from an old form of horse race in which one rider set an erratic course and the others had to follow, like a flock of geese; hence any zigzagging, futile pursuit.
How to use it
- Used with frustration about wasted effort.
- Example: That errand turned into a wild-goose chase.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.