Definition
A prank in which a gullible victim is sent off on a fruitless search for a nonexistent item.
Origins
* snipe + hunt * Although snipe are an actual family of birds, a snipe hunt is a quest for an imaginary creature whose description varies.
In Context
- "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."
Also Said As
- snark hunt
- fool's errand
- wild goose chase