A wild goose chase means a search that is pointless or unlikely to succeed.
The expression may come from an old style of horse racing where riders followed each other in unpredictable paths, similar to the wandering flight of wild geese. Over time it came to mean a futile pursuit.
The expression may come from an old style of horse racing where riders followed each other in unpredictable paths, similar to the wandering flight of wild geese. Over time it came to mean a futile pursuit.
Looking for the missing file turned into a wild goose chase.