snipe hunt

snipe hunt

n.

1. An elaborate practical joke in which an unsuspecting person takes part in a bogus hunt for a snipe, typically being left alone in the dark with instructions not to move until the snipe appears.

2. A futile search or endeavor.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

snipe hunt - an elaborate practical joke in which the unsuspecting victim hunts a snipe and is typically left in the dark holding a bag and waiting for the snipe to run into it; "in the South a snipe hunt is practically a rite of passage" practical joke - a prank or trick played on a person (especially one intended to make the victim appear foolish)