My ear was drawn to the "goose" function or how that might that relation to
the function of the unwanted third party. Of the three following slang
definitions of "to goose" or "to get goosed", I suspect, in terms of "1" the
third party rarely gets pinched or prodded or metaphorically "goosed", other
than to be encouraged to get off or leave the set. (Tho if it was Catullus -
and third party was actually wanted for a three-way (so to speak) - he might
indeed goose the gooseberry, as well!
Or as in "2" the third unwanted party, the gooseberry, might just serve the
catalytic function of goosing the couple into action who in turn -
ungraciously - give the gooseberry a goosing boot.
tr.v. Slang., goosed, goos·ing, goos·es.
1. To poke, prod, or pinch (a person) between or on the buttocks.
2. To move to action; spur: goosed the governor to sign the tax bill.
3. To give a spurt of fuel to (a car, for example); cause to accelerate
quickly. łThe pilot goosed his craft, powering away˛ (Nicholas Proffitt).
I remember as a 10 year old - or so - going around the playground with my
friends and goosing everybody. I don't think we called our victims
"gooseberries", however. They were just - most of the time - giggling and
goosed.
Stephen V
Blog: http://stephenvincent.durationpress.com
Sleeping With Sappho (a faux ebook) now at:
http://www.fauxpress.com/e/vincent/
Some more goosing Google info if you want.
In non-technical use, the male goose is called a "gander" (Anglo-Saxon
gandra) and the female is the "goose".
Geese in fiction and myth
When Aphrodite first came ashore she was welcomed by the Charites (Roman
"Graces"), whose chariot was drawn by geese.
There are Mother Goose tales, such as a farmwife might have told; there is
the proverbial goose that laid the golden eggs, warning about the perils of
greed. And there is the goose as a veiled reference to the penis in the
verses
> <snip>
> "Playing gooseberry" is being the third, unwelcome, person to a couple.
> Apparently chaperones used to pick gooseberries whilst chaperoning, which
> would appear to limit the courting season somewhat.
> <snip>
>
> I'm not sure about the unwelcome bit, at least historically: a compliant
> gooseberry would have been of value.
>
> Partridge has, incidentally, a marvellous (if suspect) suggested derivation:
> gooseberry = fool (< gooseberry fool), hence chaperon.
>
> <snip>
> Does anyone know whether this term has any connection with the saying about
> babies being found under gooseberry bushes?
> <snip>
>
> 'Gooseberry bush' is said to be a euphemism for bush (= pubic hair), but I
> lack a proper citation (Grose, for example, has nothing) and without one I
> am sceptical.
>
> Rather oddly, the French for gooseberry (groseille a maquereau) ought to
> mean 'pimping currant'.
>
> CW
> (who has recently wasted an inordinate amount of time trying to trace the
> origin of 'bulldozer')
>
> __________________________________________
>
> 'When six men tell you you're drunk, Morty, lie down'
> (Morton Feldman's grandmother)
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