Google found the actual meanings of “the goose hangs high” (the future looks good), and the reason it means that (there is a goose in the larder, therefor you will not starve), and “to go by the board” (to be completely destroyed or overthrown), but not the reason behind it. What do “to come an uncle over someone” and “to lay out in lavender” mean?
To “come the uncle over someone” means, according to this highly-trustworthy-looking site, to “overdo your privilege of reproving or castigating” someone.
As an example of illusion of transparency: On first reading, I interpretred your phrase ‘highly-trustworthy-looking site’ as sarcastic. Since it’s a Webster’s site, I’m going to guess that you were not intending to be sarcastic?
I think I did mean to be sarcastic, since it doesn’t seem to be actually affiliated with the publishers of Webster’s dictionary and the design of the site looks generally sketchy, but coming back to my comment now, you make a good point.
Ok, thanks for clarifying. It actually makes a lot more sense for you to be sarcastic and I read it that way at first. I only got confused once I started considering the non-sarcastic possibility.
The name Webster’s Dictionary may refer to any of the line of dictionaries
first developed by Noah Webster in the early 19th century, and also to
numerous unrelated dictionaries that added Webster’s name just to share his
prestige.
Google found the actual meanings of “the goose hangs high” (the future looks good), and the reason it means that (there is a goose in the larder, therefor you will not starve), and “to go by the board” (to be completely destroyed or overthrown), but not the reason behind it. What do “to come an uncle over someone” and “to lay out in lavender” mean?
‘go by the board’ is apparently of nautical derivation: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/by-the-board.html http://www.io.com/gibbonsb/words.words.words.html
To “come the uncle over someone” means, according to this highly-trustworthy-looking site, to “overdo your privilege of reproving or castigating” someone.
As an example of illusion of transparency: On first reading, I interpretred your phrase ‘highly-trustworthy-looking site’ as sarcastic. Since it’s a Webster’s site, I’m going to guess that you were not intending to be sarcastic?
I think I did mean to be sarcastic, since it doesn’t seem to be actually affiliated with the publishers of Webster’s dictionary and the design of the site looks generally sketchy, but coming back to my comment now, you make a good point.
Ok, thanks for clarifying. It actually makes a lot more sense for you to be sarcastic and I read it that way at first. I only got confused once I started considering the non-sarcastic possibility.
-- Wikipedia
Ah, good to know.