Etymology Journal · S
See a man about a horse
Meaning
- An alternative version of seeing a man about a dog, used to excuse one's absence without explaining the destination. It is just as vague and playful as the canine version.
Playful, evasive
Used in a sentence
- Excuse me, I need to go see a man about a horse.
- He left the party early, said he had to see a man about a horse.
- I will be back in ten minutes, just need to see a man about a horse.
The backstory
This is a common variation of the previous idiom. Horses were once common assets, so leaving to see a man about one was a plausible enough excuse to avoid prying questions.
Heard in
Nationwide
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