ANSER IS LATIN FOR GOOSE (BRANDY, CANDLE, FISH, etc.), phr. (old).—A punning catch or retort.
1612. CHAPMAN, The Widow’s Tears, ii. 4. Tha. If it should, sir, I would make your lordship an answer. Arg. ANSER’S LATIN FOR A GOOSE, an’t please your honour. Eu. Well noted, gander; and what of that? Arg. Nothing, an’t please your honour, but that he said he would make his lordship an ANSWER.
1738. SWIFT, Polite Conversation, II. Lord Sm. Tom, can you tell me WHAT’S LATIN FOR A GOOSE? Nev. O my lord, I know that; why, BRANDY IS LATIN FOR A GOOSE, and TACE IS LATIN FOR A CANDLE.
1823. GROSE, Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue [EGAN], s.v. TACE … TACE IS LATIN FOR A CANDLE; a jocular admonition to be silent on any subject.
1834. MARRYAT, Jacob Faithful, xi. ‘Art thou forward in thy learning? Canst thou tell me LATIN FOR GOOSE?’ ‘To be sure,’ replied Tom, ‘BRANDY.’
1851. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, I. 125. The thirst and uneasy feeling … frequently experienced after … the richer species of fish, have led to the employment of spirit to this kind of food. Hence, says Dr. Pereira, the vulgar proverb, BRANDY IS LATIN FOR FISH.
1868. BREWER, Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, s.v. BRANDY. WHAT IS THE LATIN FOR GOOSE? (ANSWER) BRANDY. The pun is on the word ANSWER. ANSER IS THE LATIN FOR GOOSE, which brandy follows as surely and quickly as an ANSWER follows a question.
