Cook someone's goose
Meaning
To utterly ruin someone's plans or prospects, ensuring their downfall or defeat.
Origin
This vivid phrase likely emerged from a potent 17th-century anecdote, possibly rooted in military lore. One popular tale describes a small army, perhaps Swedish, besieging a fortified German town. The hungry soldiers had captured a goose and were preparing to roast it for their supper. From within the walls, the town's prince defiantly sent a message to the invaders, warning them that if they continued their assault, he would 'cook their goose' – a stark threat not only to their meager dinner but to their entire campaign and very lives. This powerful image of utterly ruining an enemy's plans and prospects, reducing their hopes to ashes, quickly spread, cementing itself in the English lexicon.
Examples
- The leaked documents really cooked his goose, ending his political career before it even began.
- If we don't find a solution soon, this financial crisis will surely cook our goose.