This morning I noticed that a new red towel graced the rack at the Grey Havens' Inner Room, along with some green towels on the back of the door. Well, being ME, I thought... "Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny a ha'penny will do, if you haven't got a ha'penny, well, God Bless You!" For you young'uns, this was a ditty from years gone by that probably dates back to the nineteenth century in merry old England.
Soooo...then it was Hoban Washburne's line from "Firefly" that intruded next: "About six months before I met you [that would be his now-wife, Zoe], I was on a moon where the chief pastime was juggling geese...baby geese...goslings!!"
Now it's "his goose is cooked." Well, it obviously means "all hope is gone," but where'd the phrase originate? Can't seem to find it. Well, now, let's hear it for research and time to myself. Seems one site [http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-5-2001-5067.asp] addressing traditional Irish wedding stuff notes that the couple cooks a goose at her place before the wedding and call it "Aitin' the gander" in his honor...hence, "his goose is cooked." ;p
Well, there it is. (Thank you, Emperor Joseph from "Amadeus.")
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment