goose egg

D - G

goose egg
also, egg or duck egg (British)

Meaning | Synonyms

• zero
• nothing
• no score in a game
• lump appearing after a blow (usually on the head)
• swelling from being struck
• lay an egg

Example Sentences

1. We had a good game, but the score was goose egg.
2. He answered every question wrong in the quiz and got a goose egg.
3. The cricket ball hit him in the back of the head and an egg popped up immediately.
4. The crowd were devastated that the game was a goose egg after 90 minutes.
5. He could still see the egg on his forehead even though he’d brushed his hair over it.
6. Last month’s revenue for the company was a big goose egg.
7. She was crying and replied that we had a goose egg in the project.
8. Lots of companies laid goose eggs in 2020 due to the pandemic.
9. My son scored 5 out of 10. Well, it’s better than a goose egg.
10. The teacher has given a big goose egg to Mathew in the test result.
11. Is there anything you know when we search, and Google returns a goose egg?

Origin

The phrase is an American version of a British saying “duck egg” and it is widely used in the sports world. The earliest record of the phrase goose egg was most likely to be in the period between 1350 to 1400.

In the US (American English) this is a late 19^th century, slang term for zero score in a sporting event or game. A goose egg is the failure of a team to score any points or goals. The phrase is derived from the shape of a goose egg looking like a zero. In a sentence it replaces the word zero.

Before that, the British used duck egg or just egg to describe a lump or swelling that appears after a blow or hit, most often to the head. Any large lump that has this shape is called an egg.

Bird, Duck, Egg