Wiktionary
n. 1 (context figuratively English) A futile search, a fruitless errand; a useless and often lengthy pursuit. 2 A task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.
WordNet
n. the fruitless pursuit of something unattainable
Wikipedia
A wild-goose chase or wild goose chase may refer to:
- A pursuit of something unattainable or non-existent, such as in a snipe hunt
- An erratic type of horse race
- The Wild Goose Chase, a comedy stage play written by John Fletcher and first published in 1621
- The Wild Goose Chase (film), a 1915 American comedy-drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille
- Wycliffe's Wild Goose Chase, a crime novel by W. J. Burley
- The Wild Goose Chase (cartoon), a 1932 Van Beuren cartoon
Usage examples of "wild-goose chase".
Anyway, my second reason for filching exhibits A, B and C is that whoever planted the goods on Hartnell and started him on his wild-goose chase is going to be more than a little worried himself now.
Too much, certainly, to give John money for such a wild-goose chase.
Joe came in to guard Fetterson and I mounted up and took to the woods, and I wasn't riding on any wild-goose chase .
And it ain't a bit of use arguing with me, Hetty, because I'm not going to go another mile on a dashed wild-goose chase, and so I tell you!
And if it was a wild-goose chase, then at least it was a trip to clean territory--where my badge and live women wouldn't get me into trouble.
He was brought to admitting, austerely, that the entire trip had been a wild-goose chase expressly fabricated by Lymond.
Not in defiance of your orders, Ben, not really, but because I guessed you'd sent us out onwell, not a wild-goose chase as such, but you didn't think we'd have too much to worry about in the west of the island.