don't look a gift horse in the mouth en · X
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
Calque from Latin expressions such as equi dentes inspicere donati (“to inspect the teeth of a provided horse”) in St. Jerome's c. 400 Preface to the Commentaries of the Letter to the Ephesians (Commentariorum in Epistolam ad Ephesios Libri Tres), which designates it as a "common proverb" (vulgare proverbium). The ultimate referrent is inspection of horses' teeth as a way of ascertaining their age and value.
Meanings
-
One should not unappreciatively question or inspect a gift too closely.
No man ought to looke a geuen hors in the mouth.
1546, John Heywood, (Please provide the book title or journal name):He ne’er consider'd it, as loth To look a Gift-horse in the mouth.
1663, Samuel Butler, Hudibras:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| never look a gift horse in the mouth | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
Trojan horse · straight from the horse's mouth · long in the tooth
Synonyms
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush · beggars can't be choosers · something is better than nothing
Translations (65)
fr à cheval donné on ne regarde pas les dents (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · hy նւիրւած ձիու ատամները չեն հաշւի (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · gl a cabalo regalado no se lle mira o dente (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · fr à cheval donné on ne regarde pas la denture (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · ko 남의 호의를 트집 잡지 마라 (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · nl een gegeven paard niet in de bek kijken (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · eu dohainik edan behar duenak, hitz gutti (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · pt a cavalo dado não se olha os dentes (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · yi אַ געשענקט פֿערד קוקט מען נישט אין די ציינער (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · ru дарёному коню́ в зу́бы не смо́трят (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · de einem geschenkten Gaul guckt man nicht ins Maul (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · bg на харизан кон зъбите не се гледат (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · de einem geschenkten Gaul sieht man nicht ins Maul (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · ga Ní hinnfhiúchthar fiacla an eich bhronntar (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · fr à cheval donné on ne regarde pas la bride (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · la nōlī equī dentēs īnspicere dōnātī (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · cs darovanému koni na zuby nekoukej (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · it a caval donato non si guarda in bocca (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · sq kalit të falur nuk i këqyren dhëmbët (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · la equī dōnātī dentēs nōn sunt īnspiciendī (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · sk darovanému koňovi sa na zuby nepozeraj (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · sq kalit të falur nuk i shikohen dhëmbët (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · sh poklonjenom konju se ne gleda u zube (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · cs darovanému koni na zuby nehleď (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · pl darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie patrzy (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · tr üzümünü ye bağını sorma (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · lb engem geschenkte Gaul kuckt een net an d'Maul (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · lv dāvinātam zirgam zobos neskatās (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · es a caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · sh поклоњеном коњу се не гледа у зубе (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · uk дарованому коневі в зуби не дивляться (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · pt a cavalo dado não se olha o dente (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · vi có còn hơn không (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · ca a cavall regalat, no li miris el dentat (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · es a caballo regalado, no le mires el dentado (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · mn бэлгийн морины шүд татдаггүй (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · hu ajándék lónak ne nézd a fogát (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · el του χαρίζανε γάιδαρο και τον κοίταζε στα δόντια (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · lv dāvātam zirgam zobos neskatās (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · pl darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie zagląda (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · fi lahjahevosen suuhun ei saa katsoa (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · fr à cheval donné, on ne regarde pas la bouche (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · pl darowanemu koniowi nie zaglądaj w zęby (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · de einem geschenkten Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maul (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · vec a caval donà no se ghe varda in boca (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · ro calul de dar nu se caută în gură (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · es a caballo regalado no le mires el diente (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · da sku ikke en given hest i munden (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · la equī dōnātī dentēs nōn īnspiciuntur (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · lt dovanotam arkliui į dantis nežiūri (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · te పాపమని పాత చీర ఇస్తే గోడ చాటుకు వెళ్ళి మూర వేసిందట (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · tr hediye atın dişine bakılmaz (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · cmn 不要對禮物挑三揀四 /不要对礼物挑三拣四 (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · es a caballo regalado no se le mira el diente (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · es a caballo regalado, no le mires el diente (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · es a caballo regalado, no se le ve el colmillo (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · fa دندون اسب پیشکشی رو نمیشمرند (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · sv skåda inte given häst i munnen (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · gl o cabalo regalado, cólleo con ollos pechados (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · cmn 不要對禮物吹毛求疵 /不要对礼物吹毛求疵 (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · ro calul de dar nu se caută la dinți (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · sl podarjenemu konju se ne gleda v zobe (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · et kingitud hobuse suhu ei vaadata (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · pl darowanemu koniowi nie zagląda się w zęby (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely) · is ekki vera vanþakklátur (a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely)