wild goose

American  

noun

1. any undomesticated goose, especially the greylag of Britain or the Canada goose.

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Etymology

Origin of wild goose

before 1050; Middle English; Old English

Example Sentences

"It led to a wild goose chase of trying to figure out where this contamination could possibly have come from, because we just knew this number was far too high to be correct," Clough said.

From Science Daily

“This is a wild goose chase,” the pilot said.

From Literature

“They are usually made up of averages and all they do is take you down this wild goose chase. There are always caveats, and you never get to the answer.”

From MarketWatch

A framed photo of a scene from the 1915 film “The Wild Goose Chase,” starring Ina Claire, shows Cecil B. DeMille directing, in center.

From Los Angeles Times

“Ostrich chase! More like a wild goose chase, that’s what this was!”

From Literature