Wouldn't say this to a goose (3)

Latest answer — September 04, 2026

1 Down

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Clue explained

BOO is the sound or exclamation used to frighten someone, and a goose is famously liable to react badly to being startled. The clue is a humorous literal application of the warning not to say “boo” to a goose.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A goose appearing alert and startled.

Guardian Quick Crossword

This clue's Friday, September 04, 2026 appearance

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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Job done - Robert is my father's brother (4,4,5)
  2. 8Cheaper fare period (7)
  3. 9eg Manchester Ship or Grand (5)
  4. 10Parched (4)
  5. 11Tell anxieties freely and with relief (with 'oneself') (8)
  6. 13The world is my ___ (6)
  7. 14Morning oats (6)
  8. 17Vine leaves with savoury filling (8)
  9. 19Shallowest Great Lake (4)
  10. 21Gut bacterium (1,4)
  11. 22Means of speedy communication - temperatures raised here? (7)
  12. 24Tiny European principality (13)

Down

  1. 1Wouldn't say this to a goose (3)
  2. 2Scientific experts, eggheads (7)
  3. 3___ Saint Laurent, fashion designer (4)
  4. 4Mean and thoughtless (6)
  5. 5Smarmy (8)
  6. 6Hammered - upholstered with rattan (5)
  7. 7Sweetbrier - inelegant (anag) (9)
  8. 10Value for money - lots (1,4,4)
  9. 12Massive stone, part of prehistoric monument (8)
  10. 15Young pilchard (7)
  11. 16'Turn it off and on again' adviser (6)
  12. 18Slack (5)
  13. 20___ Redding, singer/songwriter (4)
  14. 23Poet's word, with inverted comma, for the end of the day (3)

The answer to “Wouldn't say this to a goose (3)” in the The Guardian Quick crossword is BOO — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Guardian Quick crossword on September 4, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 1-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Wouldn't say this to a goose (3)” answer

BOO (3 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is BOO.

What does BOO mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of BOO is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(interjection)

  • said suddenly to surprise someone who is unaware of one's presence
  • said to show disapproval or contempt

When else has “Wouldn't say this to a goose (3)” appeared?

The Guardian Quick reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

September 4, 2026 (most recent) → BOO. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Wouldn't say this to a goose (3)”?

The answer is BOO, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Guardian Quick crossword on September 4, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Wouldn't say this to a goose (3)”?

3 letters: BOO.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Guardian Quick crossword on September 4, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 1-Down.

Can “Wouldn't say this to a goose (3)” have a different answer?

Yes — The Guardian Quick sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Guardian Quick answers?

The full grid for September 4, 2026 is on the Guardian Quick answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Guardian Quick Crossword is published by The Guardian; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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