Gander

Detail of Painted Cart, Old Depot, Lewisburg, Ohio  © Doug Hickok


Today's post is brought to you by the word gander. It is a noun that means a male goose (derived from the Old English which dates before the year 1000). Used informally it means a quick look (of more modern origin). For example, "Take a gander at this painted wagon... it reminds me of the colors on Christmas wrapping paper".

Interestingly, according to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable the word gander-mooning describes the "aimless meanderings of the gander when the goose is sitting".

As you might expect, I have derived a few new words and phrases of my own... 

Get your gander on - to strut your stuff in front of the hens in the goose pen.

You've been ganderized - somebody has been looking at you rather intently.

gandermonium - when the goose pen gate is left open and hundreds of ganders are running amok in the farmyard.

Carpe Ganderum - seize the gander... and maybe have him for dinner.  Bon Gander!