Cook one's goose
Meaning
To ruin someone's plans or prospects, often by causing them great trouble or harm.
Origin
The dramatic phrase "cook one's goose" is believed to have a fiery origin from 16th-century conflicts, though the precise tale has become folklore. The most compelling story tells of a besieging army whose general, in a moment of arrogance, demanded a goose for his dinner from the defiant townspeople within. In response, the townsfolk audaciously paraded a single cooked goose along their walls, flaunting their refusal. Enraged by this open insult, the general ordered his forces to utterly destroy the town, declaring that they had cooked their own goose—meaning they had irrevocably sealed their fate and ensured their doom. From this legendary act of defiance and retribution, the phrase entered the lexicon as a vivid metaphor for ruining someone's prospects or bringing about their downfall.
Examples
- His careless remarks in the meeting might just cook his goose for the promotion.
- The politician's involvement in the scandal completely cooked his goose, ending his career.