someone's goose is cooked
All hope is gone; there is no possibility of success; the period of good fortune is over.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“If you miss the deadline again, your goose is cooked.”
“The boss found out about the missing money, so he knows his goose is cooked.”
“Once the audit revealed the systematic fraud, the manager realized his goose was cooked and resigned immediately.”
first recorded 19th c. disputed origin
Unclear. Unconvincing claims have been made of the term's origin in Aesop's Fables (The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs) and in Swedish history. Attested as cook someone's goose from 1845.
- 01
a wild goose never laid a tame egg
Most things are inherited and predetermined.
- 02
another nail in someone's coffin
An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.
- 03
answer someone's prayers
To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
- 04
answer to someone's prayers
Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
- 05
apple of someone's eye
The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.
- 06
bane of someone's existence
Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.
- 07
bash someone's face in
To beat someone violently.
- 08
bash someone's head
To beat up someone violently.
Last updated August 10, 2026