go on a wild goose chase

idiom

Meaning

To do something pointless

Origin

first recorded 16th c. disputed origin

From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (c. 1595); originally a kind of horse race in which riders followed a leader in formation like geese in flight.

Examples

SIMPLE

I go on a wild goose chase looking for my lost keys.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager sent me to three different stores for a specific tool, but it felt like a wild goose chase because nobody had it in stock.

COMPLEX

The detectives realized they were on a wild goose chase after discovering that the anonymous tip was a deliberate attempt to distract them from the actual crime scene.

Last updated June 7, 2026