What does the phrase ‘don’t look a gift horse in the mouth’ mean?
By admin on Nov. 27, 2009.
What I think it means is, when someone gives you a horse as a gift, you don’t look at it in the mouth and be like, ‘This horse has cabbage in his teeth, I don’t want it anymore.’ Like, you can’t get a gift, and then inspect it, and turn your nose up at it.
My mom thinks I’m nuts, though.
What does the phrase actually mean?
And when would it be used?
When someone gives you a gift, as in the case of the horse, you shouldn’t start checking his mouth .. one way people tell if a horse is healthy is by looking at its teeth and gums. You should show your appreciation and not be looking for motives of why you got the gift, because then you show you question the friendship of the gift giver .. and that is considered a slap in the face in any culture.
Category: horse gifts