What is "goose step"

1806, originally was a military drill to teach balance; "to stand on each leg alternately and swing the other back and forth" (which, presumably, reminded someone of a goose's way of walking); in reference to "marching without bending the knees" (as in Nazi military reviews) it apparently is first recorded 1916. As a verb by 1854.

1. n. a manner of marching with legs straight and swinging high

2. v. march in a military fashion

The step originated in Prussian military drill in the mid-18th century and was called the Stechschritt (literally, "piercing step") or Stechmarsch. German and Soviet military advisors spread the tradition throughout the world in the 19th and 20th centuries. The goose step is now used by the militaries of over seventy countries, comprising three-fifths of the world's population.

The term "goose step" originally referred to a British military drill in which one leg at a time was swung back and forth without bending the knee. Apparently, standing on only one leg reminded soldiers of how geese often stand. The term was later applied to the German march step during World War II and to the Soviet march step during the Cold War. As a result, the term has acquired a pejorative meaning in some English-speaking countries.

Goose step may refer to:

• Goose step, a special form of the equal step, which is usually demonstrated in solemn military parades
• The Goose-Step, a 1936 political cartoon by E. H. Shepard
• The Goose-Step (book), a 1923 book by Upton Sinclair
• The Goose-Step, a manoeuvre made famous by Australian Rugby Union player David Campese