Chrysti The Wordsmith: Wild Goose Chase

Greetings were lovers. This is Christy the wordsmith. The expression wild goose chase is a common verbal formula used to describe a convoluted and pointless quest on the surface the cliche wild goose chase seems simply to reflect the folly of trying to pursue and capture a wild goose. We could stop there for a perfectly acceptable explanation for the idiom but in the England of William Shakespeare's day Wild Goose Chase meant something else entirely. It was the name of a cross country horse race in which the lead rider galloped off into the woods in any direction he chose. The other riders then raced behind in a straight line that was said to resemble wild geese following the leader in formation. In 16 0 2 English author Nicholas Breton wrote esteem a horse according to his pace but lose no wagers on a wild goose chase. And in 16 21 another Englishman rode of horse races and wild goose chases which are the disport of greater men. Even the Bard himself

William Shakespeare alluded to the sport of wild goose chase saying in his 50 95 play Romeo and Juliet. But today this type of horse race exists only in historical footnotes. Our 21st century connection with the phrase wild goose chase naturally falls to the bird itself and to the folly of pursuing one. I'm Christie the wordsmith. This series is recorded and produced on the campus of Montana State University at KGO in Bozeman Montana. Good day for before says Christie the wordsmith is sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Zoot enterprises a high tech firm in Bozeman Montana offering challenging careers and innovative solutions for the financial services industry Web dot com.