“Everything’s Lovely and the Goose Hangs High!”

I was born and reared in Paris, Illinois.   Recently I learned that the saying,  “Everything’s lovely and the goose hangs high” originated in Paris.  I had never heard of the expression before, but curious I researched it.  I certainly encountered quite a few examples of the use of the expression, normally in works that dated from early in the last century.   I ultimately found out that the expression originated from a cruel “sport” popular around Paris long before I was born in 1957.  It was called goose pulling.  A goose was tied by its neck to a branch on a tree.  Horsemen then would compete to ride by the goose and to pull it from the tree.  The successful competitor would rip the goose from the tree by the neck , killing the goose and being awarded the carcass for his “skill”.

I cite this grim “sport” as an example of how times change.  Back in the nineteenth century this activity was viewed as a jolly fun activity.  Today it would be considered felony animal cruelty.  The dying out of this “sport” is no doubt why I never became familiar with this phrase while I was growing up in Paris, for which I am thankful.

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