snipe hunt en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
* snipe + hunt * Although snipe are an actual family of birds, a snipe hunt was originally a quest for an imaginary creature whose description varies.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) A prank in which a gullible victim is sent off on a fruitless search for a nonexistent item.
And you asked Charles Briggs for the name of the man who bought the secret, and he gives you a legend. A man who might not even exist. You know what, this is a snipe hunt.
2012 December 13, “The Leviathan”, in Elementary, season 1, episode 10, spoken by Watson (Lucy Liu):
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| snipe hunts | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
wild goose chase · fool's errand · snark hunt
Translations (10)
pt caça aos gambozinos (prank) · he מרדף שווא (prank) · ru pojdi tudá, ne znáju kudá, prinesi tó, ne znáju štó (prank) · he מרדף סרק (prank) · fr chasse au dahu (prank) · et hanekstõmbamine (prank) · fi hukkareissu (prank) · he שליחות סרק (prank) · he שליחות שווא (prank) · he רדיפה אחרי הרוח (prank)