English · Idiom Historical

i'll pluck his goose for him

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

I'll cut his crest, lower his pride, make him eat humble pie. Comparing the person to a goose, the threat is to pluck off his feathers in which he prides himself.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Topics: Ducks & geese Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “i'll pluck his goose for him” mean?

I'll cut his crest, lower his pride, make him eat humble pie. Comparing the person to a goose, the threat is to pluck off his feathers in which he prides himself.

Is “i'll pluck his goose for him” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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