someone's goose is cooked

Definition

All hope is gone; there is no possibility of success; the period of good fortune is over.

Etymology

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.

Example Sentences

• "If he doesn't win the next round, then his goose is cooked."
• "On our wedding day, a friend said to me sadly: 'Poor old Bernard, now your goose is cooked. Women are like cats, they like walls...'"
• ""I think that she was so concerned that she was afraid to even mention it in her own journals," Jennifer told him. “In fact, she doesn't bring it up again until it's pretty clear that the South's goose is cooked.”"