Difference between revisions of "Wild Goose Chase"
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The expression "Wild Goose Chase", indicates a fruitless pointless search for something. The expression originates from the 1920 election of Warren G. Harding. Two years prior, the constitution was ammended by state conventions to abolish the electoral college. In its place was established the wild goose chase. Fifteen wild geese were to be culled from a constitutionally delineated pond. The geese were greased up and the candidates were obligated to chase the geese to collect them on election day. Whosoever had the most geese on election day was declared new president. In the case there was a tie (for example, a goose flew away), then a goose pro tempore was designated to cast the tie breaking vote. Warren Harding was raised on a goose farm and had a clear advantage going into the election. Upon winning the wild goose chase, he thus began one of the worst, most fruitless presidencies in the history of the US. A new amendment was added to the constitution, abolishing the wild goose chase and reestablishing the electoral college. The amendment further stated that both it and the wild goose chase amendment were to be stricken from the recordbooks, thus erasing it from common historical knowledge. However, the term "wild goose chase" did enter into common linguistic usage, coming to mean any sort of fruitless, pointless chase for something that it turns out nobody really wants. | The expression "Wild Goose Chase", indicates a fruitless pointless search for something. The expression originates from the 1920 election of Warren G. Harding. Two years prior, the constitution was ammended by state conventions to abolish the electoral college. In its place was established the wild goose chase. Fifteen wild geese were to be culled from a constitutionally delineated pond. The geese were greased up and the candidates were obligated to chase the geese to collect them on election day. Whosoever had the most geese on election day was declared new president. In the case there was a tie (for example, a goose flew away), then a goose pro tempore was designated to cast the tie breaking vote. Warren Harding was raised on a goose farm and had a clear advantage going into the election. Upon winning the wild goose chase, he thus began one of the worst, most fruitless presidencies in the history of the US. A new amendment was added to the constitution, abolishing the wild goose chase and reestablishing the electoral college. The amendment further stated that both it and the wild goose chase amendment were to be stricken from the recordbooks, thus erasing it from common historical knowledge. However, the term "wild goose chase" did enter into common linguistic usage, coming to mean any sort of fruitless, pointless chase for something that it turns out nobody really wants. | ||
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Latest revision as of 09:15, 19 February 2014
The expression "Wild Goose Chase", indicates a fruitless pointless search for something. The expression originates from the 1920 election of Warren G. Harding. Two years prior, the constitution was ammended by state conventions to abolish the electoral college. In its place was established the wild goose chase. Fifteen wild geese were to be culled from a constitutionally delineated pond. The geese were greased up and the candidates were obligated to chase the geese to collect them on election day. Whosoever had the most geese on election day was declared new president. In the case there was a tie (for example, a goose flew away), then a goose pro tempore was designated to cast the tie breaking vote. Warren Harding was raised on a goose farm and had a clear advantage going into the election. Upon winning the wild goose chase, he thus began one of the worst, most fruitless presidencies in the history of the US. A new amendment was added to the constitution, abolishing the wild goose chase and reestablishing the electoral college. The amendment further stated that both it and the wild goose chase amendment were to be stricken from the recordbooks, thus erasing it from common historical knowledge. However, the term "wild goose chase" did enter into common linguistic usage, coming to mean any sort of fruitless, pointless chase for something that it turns out nobody really wants.
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