A Wisconsin listener says that when her body gets an involuntary, inexplicable shudder, she says “A goose walked over my grave.” An early version of the saying, “There’s somebody walking over my grave!” appears in a 1738 book by Jonathan Swift, A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, in Three Dialogues. The phrase is generally used to describe an eerie premonition, though “A goose walked over our grave” may be used at that moment when a conversation falls silent. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Goose Walking Over a Grave”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, this is Chris from Wisconsin.
Hey there, Chris. Welcome to the show.
How are you doing today?
We’re doing well. Nice to talk to you. What’s on your mind?
Well, I have this saying that just came to me. We used to say it growing up. It’s, a goose just walked over my grave. We’d say it when you have a big involuntary shake of your whole body. I have no idea where it came from.
So this is a shiver from being cold, maybe?
No, it’s just an involuntary shake.
Oh, wow.
Oh, wow.
When you’re cold, I understand that your body shivers to warm you up. But this is just one big rush shake.
Oh, interesting.
Okay.
Yeah, a lot of people use this expression when, as Grant said, they have a sudden chill, you know, just a shiver or shudder just comes out of nowhere. And there are lots of different versions of this. Sometimes it’s a rabbit walked over my grave or sometimes it’s somebody walked over my grave. And it goes back to an old superstition that that’s exactly what’s happening, that there’s some kind of weird premonition that is going on when you get that chill. And somewhere, wherever your grave is going to be, somebody or something is walking over it. As if you’re connected to your final destination.
Yeah, it is dark. That’s true.
Yeah, it’s very dark.
And probably the earliest reference that we have for this is in a book by Jonathan Swift back in 1738 where somebody shudders and then she says, Lord, there’s somebody walking over my grave. There’s a variation on this, by the way. Some people say that a goose walked over the grave when there’s an uncomfortable silence in the conversation.
Yes.
So there’s just like this awkward moment. These days, everyone would just go, awkward turtle or awkward. But you might also say, oh, I think a goose just walked over our grave.
How does that feel, though, to have like 300 years of history behind words that come out of your mouth without thinking about them? Isn’t that crazy?
Oh, I think it’s fantastic. It’s wonderful.
I think so, too. I can’t wait to tell my niece.
Thanks for calling.
You’re welcome.
Take care now.
Thank you.
Take care, Chris.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
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