English Idiom – Wouldn’t say boo to a goose.
Meaning – If someone wouldn’t say boo to a goose, they are very timid and nervous. This expression might be used to describe someone who is very shy and too timid to stand up or speak up for themselves.
This is a British English idiom. In Australia or America you might come across the similar idiom Wouldn’t say boo to a fly.
When could you use this idiom?
- To describe a shy or nervous friend.
- If someone is too timid to complain about a problem.
- When your friend is too embarrassed to ask someone a question.
- “Tommy is joining the police? I’m surprised! He’s a lovely bloke but he wouldn’t say boo to a goose!”
In The News:
“Sadly, I’m one of those people who’d never say boo to a goose in person, but would happily talk about it behind its back, or write it a snide letter, as long as I knew it couldn’t get me.”
- Is there an idiom like this in your country?
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What is an idiom?
An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally. An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.
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