Question

Wild-Goose Chase a useless or hopeless search, especially because something does not exist or can't be found

Accepted Answer

It's a wild-goose chase trying to discover who gave you this cold. William Shakespeare used this famous phrase in his play Romeo and Juliet, and it's been widely used since about 1600. It's practically impossible to catch a wild goose. It's like trying to capture a greased pig or find a "needle in a haystack" (see page 124). It also may refer to a kind of horse race in which each horse had to follow the erratic course of the leader. Such a race looks like wild geese following the leader in formation.

Idiom	Wild-Goose Chase
Example	It's a wild-goose chase trying to discover who gave you this cold.
Meaning	a useless or hopeless search, especially because something does not exist or can't be found
Origin	William Shakespeare used this famous phrase in his play Romeo and Juliet, and it's been widely used since about 1600. It's practically impossible to catch a wild goose. It's like trying to capture a greased pig or find a "needle in a haystack" (see page 124). It also may refer to a kind of horse race in which each horse had to follow the erratic course of the leader. Such a race looks like wild geese following the leader in formation.

Wild Goose Chase Wild Horse Race Discover Gave Cold