goose egg
1. In a competition or sporting event, a score of zero. A: "Did your team even manage to score a single point?" B: "Nope, we put up a goose egg. The final score was 7–0." The Flyers are playing the best goalie in the league, so don't be surprised if they end up with a goose egg. Another goose egg? Wow, our offense is really nonexistent right now.
2. A bump on the head as a result of some physical impact. He got hit in the head with a baseball at practice. I bet he'll have one heck of a goose egg tonight. I did ice the area after I got hit yesterday, and, look—I still have quite the goose egg on my forehead! That's one heck of a goose egg! What hit you in the head?
3. A failure or defeat. Now the caterer can't make it! Geez, this party is turning into a real goose egg. We fell behind by so many points that our championship hopes quickly became a goose egg. I thought I would be able to get a lot of people to sign my petition, but it's been quite a goose egg. I'll be lucky if I can scrounge up 10 signatures!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
goose egg
1. Fig. a raised bump on the skull as when one's head has been struck. I walked into the edge of the door and got a terrible goose egg.
2. Fig. in a sports score, zero. At the end of the game there was nothing but goose eggs next to our name.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
goose egg
Zero, nothing, especially a score of zero. For example, Our team did badly, earning goose egg, or My income from writing this year was goose egg. This expression is an Americanization of the earlier British duck's egg. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
goose egg
1. n. a score of zero. We got a goose egg in the second inning.
2. n. a bump on the head. I walked into a door and got a big goose egg on my forehead.
3. n. a failure; a zero. (Similar to sense 1) The result of three weeks’ planning is one big goose egg.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.