The expression “It’ll never be seen on a galloping horse” means “Don’t be such a perfectionist.” But why? A caller remembers an even odder version: It’ll never be seen on a galloping goose. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Galloping Horse Expression”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, my name’s Debbie Sullivan, and I’m calling from San Diego, California.
Well, hello, Debbie. Welcome to the program.
Hi, Debbie.
Thank you.
What can we do you for?
Well, I grew up with a saying that my mother said she was born in 1934, I believe, in Long Beach, California, and she was a seamstress. She did a lot of sewing, which she luckily passed down to me. And if you made something and it wasn’t quite right, she would say, you’ll never see it on a galloping goose. And I’ve never heard anybody else say it, but I did just recently ask my aunt, who is the only still living sibling, if she remembered it. And she said, you know, I remember something about a galloping goose, but not in that form.
And Debbie, what did she mean by it?
Well, I think it was a case of where if there was an imperfection in something you made, let’s say you didn’t match the plaids exactly right on the side of the skirt or something, that you’re usually not standing still and having somebody look exactly at everything you’ve done.
Yes.
That’s perfect.
Yes.
Yes.
Well, Debbie, I think we can help you with this some. I’ve never heard the galloping goose version, though. This is great. The version I always heard was, it’ll never be seen on a galloping horse.
Goose horse.
Yeah, goose horse.
What’s the difference?
It’s a farm animal.
Yeah, it’s a farm animal.
Who cares?
But I love this expression. I absolutely love it. I mean, it’s a great expression for perfectionists to remember, right? So is this just for tailors and seamstresses and people who make clothing, or is it for other things as well?
Well, interesting you should ask, because in the 1950s, it became very popular among quilters. And it makes sense. You know, you screw up and, well, you know, if you’re on a galloping horse, you’ll never see it, right, from a distance.
Very good. Makes sense. That’s right.
Yeah, and I think it probably goes back to an earlier expression that was popular at least as early as 1894, which was a blind man on a galloping horse would be glad to see it. It may have to do with that, or a blind man on a galloping horse wouldn’t see it.
Right, right.
So it’s something terrible, badly made, and you don’t really care because nobody’s going to pay close attention to it, right?
Exactly.
Exactly.
I think it’s a fantastic phrase. And I love the goose. I may steal that because that’s even better. Galloping goose, though, is a name for an automobile or some kind of vehicle that doesn’t run very well.
I didn’t know that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I find something here from the 1938 in the Federal Riders Project. A gas-propelled combined express and passenger railroad car distinguished by a stripe in front. And then a little later, Jonathan Green in his slang dictionary defines it as a train, car, or plane that runs badly.
Oh, well, now that may make even more sense because my great-grandfather worked on the railroads in Idaho.
Very good.
So maybe she took the old galloping horse saying and she heard galloping goose from your grandfather and put the two together and made something brand new.
It could be. I always wondered if it was original. It looks like it might be partially.
I love this. If you look in the newspaper archives for galloping goose, you’ll find there were a lot of different trains at different times and different places that were called the galloping goose. And they usually referred to the fact that they were rickety and didn’t run very well.
Well, you’re not supposed to see it one way or the other, so don’t be a perfectionist. It’s just probably the end lesson on that.
Exactly. I love that. Words to live by. It’ll never be seen on a galloping goose.
Well, it sounds like we solved your problem, Deb.
Well, thank you very much. I appreciate it.
My pleasure. Thank you for calling.
You’re welcome.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
What did your mother used to say? What did your father used to say? Give us a call and we’ll talk about it. 1-877-929-9673 or send an email to words@waywordradio.org.
