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Wild goose chase meaning: say you wasted time | English from movies

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第1句，共10句 0:00 Hana

for the ? It's on my , my .

边听边读逐句跟读专心听

选择一句，就能再听一遍。点击任意单词查看意思。带下划线的是本视频的重点词。

Hana for the ? It's on my , my .
Marco So for a ?
Tutor , -of-.
Out of Sight That's a end.
Tutor , a bit .
The Wheeler Dealers , is a , and my it.
Tutor and .
Groundhog Day a of .
Marco You me on a , Hana.
Hana . Coffee's on me. You it, .

每题先选一个答案，再点击“检查答案”。

第1题

Your friend searched all day for a café that closed years ago. Which line fits best?

和老师聊聊
第2题

Which line sounds the most blunt?

和老师聊聊
第3题

A meeting keeps returning to the same question with no decision. What do you say?

和老师聊聊
第4题

You try one solution and learn it can't work. Which calm line fits?

和老师聊聊
第5题

What does "It's not worth the trouble" usually suggest?

和老师聊聊

先看简短解释

Wild goose chase: ways to describe wasted effort

A wild goose chase is a long search for something you never find, often because the information was wrong. Say "This is a wild goose chase" while it's happening, or "You sent me on a wild goose chase" afterward. For a plan with no way forward, say "That's a dead end." For a strong, direct complaint, say "What a waste of time," but be careful about who hears it.

视频重点词汇

点击任意单词查看意思。带下划线的是本视频的重点词。

逐句讲解

That's a dead end. 语气: Calm, matter-of-fact

Use it when an idea, plan, or search can't go any further and you need to try something else. It sounds calm, so it works at work and with people you don't know well.

“That's a dead end.”

出自Out of Sight (1998)
This is a wild goose chase. 语气: Playful, a bit annoyed

Use it during a long search that you now think will find nothing. It's light and a little annoyed, so it suits friends and coworkers. It doesn't fit a serious complaint.

“Anyway, this is a wild goose chase, and my boss knows it.”

出自The Wheeler Dealers (1963)
What a waste of time. 语气: Blunt and direct

Use it to say clearly that something gave you nothing useful. It's strong. Be careful saying it to your boss or to the person who planned the event.

“What a waste of time.”

出自Groundhog Day (1993)
We're going around in circles. 语气: Tired, a little frustrated

Use it when a discussion keeps coming back to the same points and nothing gets decided. It's polite enough for meetings.
We're getting nowhere. 语气: Frustrated but neutral

Use it when you're trying hard but making no progress. It describes the situation, not a person, so it rarely sounds rude.
That was all for nothing. 语气: Disappointed

Use it after the effort is over and the result was zero. It sounds sad more than angry. Don't use it while you're still working on the problem.

常见错误

不太合适 ~~This is a wild goat chase.~~

更合适的说法 This is a wild goose chase.

The idiom always uses "goose," the bird. Changing the animal makes the phrase sound strange to native speakers.
不太合适 ~~You made me a wild goose chase.~~

更合适的说法 You sent me on a wild goose chase.

The usual verbs are "send someone on" or "go on" a wild goose chase. You go on the chase. It isn't something you make.
不太合适 ~~Your presentation was a waste of time. (said to your manager)~~

更合适的说法 I'm not sure that meeting helped us much.

"What a waste of time" is blunt. With a boss or client, a softer sentence says the same thing without sounding rude.