wild-goose chases
Bootless errand sequences
Wild-goose chases is the plural of wild-goose chase—a futile pursuit of something unattainable or nonexistent.
The term evokes chasing a wild goose, which flies erratically and cannot be caught.
The detective spent months on wild-goose chases before finding a real lead.
Half the tips we get turn out to be wild-goose chases.
- snipe huntPrank seeking nonexistent prey
- fruitlessProducing no useful outcome
- ineffectiveLacking power to achieve
- futileIncapable of producing results
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
tilting at windmills · aimless · pipe dream · pointless · white whale · needle in a haystack · useless · deviations · mirage · fool's gold · wastes of time · lost causes · red herrings · fool's errand · vain · MacGuffin · pursuit · spinning your wheels
wild-goose chasespaying off
Producing desired results
breakthroughs · sure things · slam dunks · home runs · meaningful work
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