wild-goose chase

短语

n. 荒谬无益之追求, 行踪不定的路线

发音

AU

词形变化

wild-goose chases 复数

别名

wild goose chase

释义与例句

n.
  1. 1.

    A futile search, a fruitless errand; a useless and often lengthy task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.

    竹篮打水

    徒劳

    比喻 习语

    I went on a wild-goose chase all over the town looking for that adapter until I discovered they no longer make them.

    Diagnosing this software application's problems is a wild-goose chase because it is built in an environment that has poor debugging tools.

词汇关系

名词

上位词 3

quest pursuit pursuance

词源

Early recorded use refers to a type of 16th century horse race where everyone had to try to follow the erratic course of the lead horse, like wild geese have to follow their leader in formation. Mentioned in 1593 in the English poet Gervase Markham’s book about horsemanship. Also mentioned in the William Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, scene 4 by the character Mercutio: “Nay, if our wits run the wild-goose chase, I am done; for thou hast more of the wild goose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five.” Mentioned in Robert Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy (1621). Common use in the current may be the origin for the sport sense.

来源：wiktionary