Don't look a gift horse in the mouth

Posted by Brian from Shawnee on December 09, 2004

In Reply to: Re: Never look a gift horse in the mouth? posted by Brian from Shawnee on December 09, 2004

: : : Hello everybody,

: : : Does the saying 'Never look a gift horse in the mouth' have anything to do with the Fall of Troy? Thanks in advance.

: : I don't think so.

: : NEVER LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH - According to Charles Earle Funk in "A Hog on Ice" (Harper & Row, New York, 1948), the expression "to look a gift horse in the mouth" is "...so old that its origins cannot be determined. It has been traced to the writings of St. Jerome, one of the L*tin Fathers of the fourth century, who then labeled it a common proverb. The expression, or a variant proverb, occurs in French, Italian, Spanish, and other languages of Europe. The reference is, of course, to the bad manners displayed by one who receives a gift if he examines it for defects. Up to a certain age, the age of a horse can be determined by looking at its teeth; though it may appear to be young and frisky, the number or condition of teeth may show it to be almost fit for nothing but the glue-works."

: Besides, the Greeks came out of the Trojan Horse's belly. Presumably they were smart enough not to put a window in the mouth, so looking at it would not have revealed the army hiding inside.

P.S. This phrase is listed on the "Meanings and origins of phrases and sayings" section of this site. It's under "D" for "Don't..."