Welcome to our fun exploration of English idioms involving geese! Idioms are phrases that mean something different from the individual words they contain. This post is perfect for kids and anyone curious about language, as we look into phrases that use the word “goose” in interesting ways.
Goose Idioms
Here are 20 goose idioms in English.
1. Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
Meaning: Destroy something valuable.
Example: He gambled away his business, killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.
2. Cook someone’s goose
Meaning: Ruin someone’s plans.
Example: I forgot the documents and cooked my own goose.
3. Goose is cooked
Meaning: Situation is hopeless.
Example: When the boss saw the mistake, my goose was cooked.
4. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
Meaning: What applies to one applies to all.
Example: She takes long lunches, so I guess I can too.
5. Silly goose
Meaning: A term for someone being foolish.
Example: Don’t be a silly goose and risk your health.
6. Goose bumps
Meaning: Small bumps from cold or fear.
Example: That scary movie gave me goose bumps.
7. Wild goose chase
Meaning: A futile search or pursuit.
Example: Finding that book was a wild goose chase.
8. Goose step
Meaning: March like a soldier without bending knees.
Example: The troops did a goose step during the parade.
9. Goose egg
Meaning: A score of zero.
Example: Our team scored a goose egg yesterday.
10. Get someone’s goose
Meaning: Affect someone significantly.
Example: That prank really got his goose.
11. Goose it up
Meaning: Increase power or effort.
Example: Goose up the engine; we’re late!
12. Goosing
Meaning: Prodding someone into action.
Example: He needed some goosing to finish on time.
13. Mother goose
Meaning: Refers to fairy tales or nurturing figure.
Example: She read us stories like Mother Goose.
14. Goose fair
Meaning: A time for celebration or festival.
Example: We met at the annual goose fair.
15. Goose down
Meaning: Soft feathers used for insulation.
Example: This jacket is filled with goose down.
16. Goose-neck
Meaning: Something with a curved shape.
Example: The lamp had a goose-neck, perfect for reading.
17. Baby goose
Meaning: A gosling, or a term for a young one.
Example: Look at that cute baby goose by the lake!
18. Like a goose
Meaning: Acting foolishly or noisily.
Example: He was honking like a goose in the crowd.
19. Goose the market
Meaning: Manipulate or boost artificially.
Example: They tried to goose the market with high bids.
20. Golden goose
Meaning: A valuable resource or asset.
Example: Their new product became the golden goose.
