“Never look a gift horse in the mouth”: meaning, origin and examples
What it means
The phrase means you should not criticize or inspect a gift or favor too closely, as it may appear ungrateful.
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Where it comes from
The origin comes from the practice of evaluating a horse’s age and health by looking at its teeth. When receiving a horse as a gift, it would be impolite to inspect its mouth this way, as it suggests distrust or lack of appreciation.
Examples
- When he complained about the free concert tickets, his friend reminded him, ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth.’
- She was given an older model phone for free and was reminded, ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth.’
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