Table of Contents
- 1 What does coming from the horses mouth mean?
- 2 Is straight from the horse’s mouth offensive?
- 3 Where did the term don’t look a gift horse in the mouth come from?
- 4 What is the meaning of a bone to pick with you?
- 5 What is the meaning of the idiom to smell a rat?
- 6 What does straight from the horse’s mouth mean?
- 7 What are some horse related idioms?
- 8 What is the origin of the term “horseback riding”?
What does coming from the horses mouth mean?
From a reliable source, on the best authority. For example, I have it from the horse’s mouth that he plans to retire next month. Also put as straight from the horse’s mouth, this expression alludes to examining a horse’s teeth to determine its age and hence its worth. [
Is straight from the horse’s mouth offensive?
Is straight from the horse’s mouth offensive? Generally, this idiom is not offensive. It’s not truly comparing someone to a horse but is referencing a longer history in which horses played a role.
What figure of speech is straight from the horse’s mouth?
The phrase ‘to hear something straight from the horse’s mouth’ means that you heard the information from someone who has personal knowledge on the spoken matter. Example in use: “I don’t believe it that she did it.
Where did the term don’t look a gift horse in the mouth come from?
The idiom itself probably stems from the practice of determining a horse’s age from looking at its teeth. It would be rude to receive a horse for your birthday and immediately examine its mouth in front of the person who gave it to you, as if you were trying to figure out the value of your gift.
What is the meaning of a bone to pick with you?
Having a “bone to pick with someone” means having a grievance that needs to be talked out: “I have a bone to pick with you, Wallace; I heard how you criticized me at the meeting last night.”
What does the term see a man about a horse mean?
To see a man about a dog or horse is a British English idiom, usually used as a way to apologise for one’s imminent departure or absence, generally to euphemistically conceal one’s true purpose, such as going to use the bathroom or going to buy a drink. The phrase may have been accompanied by a wink.
What is the meaning of the idiom to smell a rat?
smell a rat. Suspect something is wrong, especially a betrayal of some kind. For example, When I didn’t hear any more from my prospective employer, I began to smell a rat. This expression alludes to a cat sniffing out a rat. [
What does straight from the horse’s mouth mean?
The phrase (straight) from the horse’s mouth refers to information and means from the person directly concerned or another authoritative source. ORIGIN. This phrase is from horse racing, and alludes to the presumed ideal source for a racing tip.
What does ‘one step better than the horse’s mouth’ mean?
The notional ‘from the horse’s mouth’ is supposed to indicate one step better than even that inner circle, that is, the horse itself. The phrase originated around the turn of the 20th century.
The Origins of 12 Horse-Related Idioms. 1 1. Hold your horses! When It Originated: 800 BCE. 2 2. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. 3 3. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. 4 4. Horseplay. 5 5. A horse of a different color.
What is the origin of the term “horseback riding”?
The expression originates from the southern and western United States. The first use of the term is uncertain; it was already in relatively widespread use by the mid-20th century. The phrase itself is derived from horseback riding. When a horse is forced to run quickly, it works up a sweat.