to shoe the goose - to waste one's time in a fruitless or trivial activity. Thus - whoever concerns himself with the ways of man is wasting his time (and by implication) better concern yourself with the ways of God. Personally, I'm all for shoeing the goose myself.

Another detail of the Whalley misericord Here.

Must check out Boston Stump. I tell kids about the sort of punishments our generation had to endure as part of our education and they think I'm having a laugh.