If you have ever approached geese with their goslings, you’d know how the phrase came into being. The male very carefully watches anything different, prepared to defend his brood at all costs, and won’t let anything divert his attention. He considers all options, checks to make sure he’s right, and then takes action, keeping his eye on things diligently. So if you’re taking a gander at something, you’re looking carefully.

“Take a gander at” means to look over, and it’s used pretty casually. Typically, the person saying it means to convey that s/he does not intend to look over it super-carefully, or wants the other person to acknowledge a casual attitude. For example, if a friend of mine had recently let me down by not returning something of mine or some such thing, and then asked me to look over a paper for a class and edit it, I might say that I would “take a gander at” it, because I want my friend to know that I don’t feel obligated to do a great job on the editing because the friend had let me down.

In other cases, the same phrase can be used to mean “look at with curiosity or interest”, like you would take a gander at the reviews for a book you had just published, meaning you are really interested to see what’s being said. Both of these uses of the phrase are common, but it seems to be tone and context that informs the meaning.

I hope this helps!

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RE:
The saying' take a gander at' meaning look it over carefuly,?
When and where did this saying come into common usage?

According to Merriam Webster, the term came into use around 1914 (about the beginning of WWI), and is probably derived from the term for a male goose (a gander), referring to stretching one’s neck like a gander to see something.

I would say the expression lends more to: look at in a hurried manner or in an inquisitive way.

The word’s mostly associated with nursery rhymes. Before that, some say: “slang for sexual equality.”

I think the phrase means just to look, not necessarily carefully or just a glance. At least in my opinion, it would be up to the receiver of the command weather or not he will pay more or less attention to it.

Jess is right, it was a goose thing, and the gander is curious!

Hes prolly trying to flirt with you. Lots of boys end up picking on girls they like, they just dont know how to act around the opposite sex to get attention.