What Does the Phrase ‘Straight from the Horse’s Mouth’ Mean and Why?
The origin of this phrase lies in the old practice of trading racehorses.
This phrase is used to refer to a piece of information given by someone who is directly involved and is therefore likely to be true. In other words, if you get a piece of information straight from the horse’s mouth, it is given by someone who has the highest authority over the matter.
This expression comes from the practice of trading racehorses.
Naturally, in a trade, the seller wants to sell his horses at the highest price. Also, the young horses command a higher price than the older ones. But it is difficult to gauge the age of a horse by merely observing its outward physical characteristics. However, the approximate age of a horse can be guessed with reasonable accuracy by observing its teeth.
A prudent buyer will always look inside the horse’s mouth to estimate its age before making an offer. So, the buyers would know the exact age directly ‘from the horse’s mouth’.
Thus, the phrase from the horse’s mouth has come to refer to a piece of information obtained directly from the original source.
For e.g. —
“The rumor of Jack’s resignation is indeed true. I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth — Jack told me himself.”
The example here is self-explanatory.
Friends, from this same story, we have gotten another idiom, and that is — “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”.
It means that you should not find faults with a gift. You should be grateful for what you receive without implying that you wanted more, or that you are not satisfied with it.
In continuation of the above-mentioned story of horse-trading, if you look at a gift horse in the mouth, you are trying to estimate its age and by extension, its value or price which is rude to the gift giver.
This expression is also used to say that you should take advantage of any opportunity you get without complaining about it.
For e.g. —
“I got a new job thanks to my uncle. Although the pay is low, I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
It means that I am grateful that I got a job. I am not complaining about the low pay.
I hope you found this story interesting. If you did, buy my full course on Udemy or watch it for free on Skillshare by signing up here. This course covers nearly 380 idioms with their origins and backstories.
Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.
