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Get Your Goat: A Horse's Tale

By John Ciardi

Published March 30, 2006 at 1:06 PM EST

The phrase "get your goat" comes from the long-ago world of English horse training. Goats were one of the many ploys used by trainers to keep the nerves of their racing horses calm before a race. Stealing a rival's goat on race day was one way to gain an edge on the track.

John Ciardi

Stories From This Author

A Fireside Chat Through the Ages

John Ciardi

From the "focus" of Roman homes to the chimneys of modern homes, the history of the fireplace is a journey across Europe. Each epoch and culture has had its own method of keeping the home fires lit.
Mickey Mouse Conquers the World of Language

John Ciardi

Mickey Mouse is a famous cartoon character, perhaps the most famous. But there is also the phrase "mickey mouse," which may be traced back to the slang of World War II. But it's a bit of slang that falls into a gray area rarely visited by lexicographers.
Grapefruit Leads a Parade of Mixed Words

John Ciardi

Where did the name grapefruit come from? It's an obvious misnomer. There's nothing grape about the fruit. Some have tried to explain away physical reasons for the name. But the truth lies in that alley of language containing other mixed words, like eggplant.