Past tense of goose; to poke or pinch someone playfully, usually on the buttocks, or to suddenly increase speed or intensity.
From Old English 'gos' (goose), the bird. The verb developed from the image of poking something the way one might poke a goose to make it move quickly or honk.
The verb 'goose' became slang for poking someone in the mid-1800s, probably because geese are notoriously irritable birds that honk and flap dramatically when bothered—the perfect metaphor for a sudden, startling poke!
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