the old woman is plucking her goose
It is snowing.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Look outside, the old woman is plucking her goose.”
“The children cheered when they saw the first flakes, saying the old woman is plucking her goose.”
“As the sky turned a heavy grey and the first soft flakes descended, the villagers remarked that the old woman is plucking her goose.”
A metaphorical comparison likening falling snowflakes to the white feathers of a bird, specifically those shed during the plucking of a goose.
- 01
a wild goose never laid a tame egg
Most things are inherited and predetermined.
- 02
any old nook or cranny
Alternative form of any nook or cranny.
- 03
bad old days
The past, seen as a time when things were worse.
- 04
big old
Emphatically or impressively big; really big.
- 05
chip off the old block
Someone who takes after one of their parents; (generally) a person similar to another.
- 06
come the old soldier
Often followed by with: to deceive, impose upon, or take advantage of someone, as if exploiting one's superior age or experience.
- 07
comfort woman
A woman forced, or supposedly recruited, into brothels by the Japanese occupation forces before or during World War II.
- 08
cook someone's goose
To spoil one's plans or hope of success.
Last updated August 10, 2026