Etymology Journal ยท N
Never look a gift horse in the mouth
Meaning
- Do not be ungrateful for a free gift or favor. It implies that you should not scrutinize the value of something you received for free.
Didactic, sensible
Used in a sentence
- I know the car is old, but never look a gift horse in the mouth.
- They offered to pay for the dinner, so just say thank you and never look a gift horse in the mouth.
- It might not be the brand you like, but never look a gift horse in the mouth.
The backstory
In the old days, you could determine a horse's age and health by looking at its teeth. If someone gave you a horse as a gift, inspecting its mouth was an insult to the giver.
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