# go on a wild goose chase

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-on-a-wild-goose-chase
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

To do something pointless

## Examples

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

## 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. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.