“Wild Goose Chase” describes an unsuccessful or futile search that wastes time because the target is not where expected. The page publishes the modern dictionary-supported meaning without asserting unsupported exact origin chronology.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionPhrases & Idioms
Quick answer
A “wild-goose chase” is a futile, time-wasting search or pursuit.
Key details
Canonical Formwild-goose chase
Core Meaningan unsuccessful search that wastes time because the sought person or thing cannot be found where expected
Further guidance
History Boundary
The documented modern meaning is published without claiming an exact inventor, coinage date, or absolute first use.
Meaning
an unsuccessful search that wastes time because the sought person or thing cannot be found where expected
Usage Boundary
Use it for a futile search or pursuit, not simply for every difficult task.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
“A Needle in a Haystack” means something that is extremely difficult or effectively impossible to find because the search area is so large. This guide focuses on the documented modern idiomatic meaning and does not claim an unsupported exact origin date.
“A piece of cake” is an informal way to describe something very easy to do. A well-known early printed citation appears in Ogden Nash’s 1930s collection The Primrose Path, but an early citation is not proof that Nash coined the expression.
The informal idiom “not have a snowball’s chance in hell” describes a situation with essentially no chance of success. This guide limits the page to the current form, register, and meaning supported by Cambridge and does not add an unsupported origin story.
“A tough nut to crack” describes something difficult to solve or someone difficult to understand. Cambridge records both “hard” and “tough” in the idiom. This guide publishes the current meaning without asserting an exact historical first use.
“All in a day’s work” frames a demanding or unusual task as routine within someone’s work. This guide explains that present-day sense without claiming a first use or inventor.
Having your “back against the wall” means being in serious difficulty with very limited room to act. The guide stays with documented present-day meaning and does not invent an exact origin or first-use story.
The informal idiom “bite off more than you can chew” describes taking on a task or responsibility that exceeds what you can realistically manage. This guide keeps the page meaning-led and does not add an unsupported exact-origin claim.
A “bottleneck” is a problem or constrained point that delays progress or limits a process. Use it for a limiting stage or obstruction that holds up flow, work or progress.
