Greetings all, I've been trying to find 'a wild goose chase' on line in Thai without success.

Would be grateful if someone could type it in thai as well as the English transliteration.

tx

wild-goose chase

• [iDM] ไม่มีประโยชน์ในการตามล่า ติดตาม
  
• [N] การค้นหาสิ่งไม่มีตัวตน; การค้นหาสิ่งที่ไม่อาจพบได้
  (NECTEC Lexitron 2 EN-TH)
  

Thanks once again.

Note that what has been provided is a definition -- not an equivalent saying in Thai (which I don't think exists).

okay, I'd be surprised if that were the case. Will post anything I find that's similar.

A friend claims that เสียแรงเปล่า will work. After some discussion he was able to use it idiomatically so that's the best I can do.

It translated directly as sia -waste raeng -energy, and plao-empty, and can be used for tasks and actions. So something pointless, such as a wild goose chase, could be described with the above expression in Thai. Just thought I'd share my findings, feel free to comment if you can go one better.

Yes, the meaning is correct. It's not a metaphor like the English expression, though. It is fairly literal, meaning to expend effort fruitlessly.

A friend claims that เสียแรงเปล่า will work. After some discussion he was able to use it idiomatically so that's the best I can do.

It translated directly as sia -waste raeng -energy, and plao-empty, and can be used for tasks and actions. So something pointless, such as a wild goose chase, could be described with the above expression in Thai. Just thought I'd share my findings, feel free to comment if you can go one better.

The best I can come up with to describe something pointless or a waste of time is,

สอนจระเข้ว่ายน้ำ, son torake wai nam

Teach a crocodile how to swim

Or,

สีซอให้ควายฟัง see sor hai kwai fang

To play a violin for a buffalo, too be honest this translates more as to cast pearls before swine rather than a wasted effort.

Or

เอามะพร้าวห้าวไปขายสวน

To take coals to Newcastle.

เสียเที่ยว would be close to a wild goose chase; waste a trip for nothing

http://www.thai-language.com/id/227007

Thanks, though I was the one who sent that in response to my findings.

Edited February 18, 201214 yr by Deserted