to go on a wild goose chase
to look for something that's very hard or impossible to find · to waste time searching for something in vain
What's the situation?
Imagine you're searching for that *one* specific vintage jacket or a limited-edition gadget that everyone wants. You hit every store, scour every online shop, but it's nowhere to be found! 😫 This expression perfectly captures that frustrating, often fruitless, quest.