The Goose and Gridiron
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A public-house sign, properly the coat of arms of the Company of Musicians — viz. a swan with expanded wings, within a double tressure [the gridiron], counter, flory, argent.
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.
Common questions
What does “The Goose and Gridiron” mean?
A public-house sign, properly the coat of arms of the Company of Musicians — viz. a swan with expanded wings, within a double tressure [the gridiron], counter, flory, argent.
Is “The Goose and Gridiron” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.