This post explains what the phrase “a wild goose chase” means and some of the history behind the expression. It also shows how to use this phrase in everyday conversation.
As is the case with quite a few expressions in the English language, the phrase “a wild goose chase” originated with Shakespeare. In Romeo and Juliet Mercutio says Romeo’s wits have “run the wild goose chase.”
The phrase means “a pointless pursuit of something” and, even though this meaning has remained unchanged since the time of Shakespeare, what it refers to has slightly changed.
In Shakespeare’s day, a wild goose chase alluded to a horse race in which horses were to follow a lead horse at a certain distance much like the formation in which wild geese fly. Naturally, catching the lead horse soon would become a fruitless undertaking.
Over the years, the meaning no longer had anything to do with horse racing and currently refers to how difficult wild geese are to catch. In other words, chasing a wild goose would be pointless because the chances of catching them are very slim.
The following fictitious conversation contains an example of how this expression is used:
Enquanto você lê
Ler sobre inglês não é falar inglês.
Em 200 horas a gente tira você do “entendo mas não falo”. Descubra em qual módulo você entra.
Estudei 4 anos em outra escola e não falava. Aqui eu falei no terceiro mês.
(Brian) – “We looked all over the school for your daughter, but we couldn’t find her.”
(John – Girl’s father) – “Oh, I forgot that she was supposed to ride the bus home today.”
(Brian) – “You mean you sent us on a wild goose chase looking for your daughter?”
(John) – “Yeah, sorry.”
Here is another example of how it is used:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF3ILYlo-A4 (see 00:17-00:21)
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