Faith, here's an English tailor come hither for stealing out of a French hose. Come in, tailor. Here you may roast your goose. (2.3), Porter
The meaning of this passage is best explained by John Dover Wilson: "i.e., the tailor, who has for years stolen cloth in the cutting out of the ampler garments of his customers, tries the trick once too often in the making of French hose which, as fashion changed, became so close-fitting that any loss of cloth would be instantly detected" (Macbeth, 127).
roast your goose: i.e., heat your tailor's iron (goose=iron).
How to cite this article:
Mabillard, Amanda. Macbeth Glossary. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/macbethglossary/macbeth1_1/macbethglos_roastgoose.html >.
REFERENCE
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Ed. John Dover Wilson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1968.
