To view this content, you need to sign in.
You should only be asked to sign in once. Not the case? Click here
Register now to access this content and more for free.
Friday Letter: A wild goose chase
According to the Encyclopaedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson, a wild goose chase was first used to describe a peculiar kind of 16th-century English horse race. The racers would set off into a forest following a lead horse, which could run in any direction.
