If you hear something straight from the horses mouth, you hear it from the person who has. Tom blackwell echoed the other panellists, saying that reporters wish to obtain information from the horses mouth rather than from media relations staff. Dictionary grammar blog school scrabble thesaurus translator quiz more resources more from collins. Translations in context of from the horses mouth in englishspanish from reverso context. The earliest instance that i have found is from bells. Get comprehensive access to the full range of horsesmouth memberships.
I am wanting a title like the horses mouth for my newsletter but i dont really want to call myself a horse. When you got it straight from the horses mouth, you have it directly from the source. Since horses were my favorite animals, this notion had great appeal. A scene of jimson ruining a rich couples penthouse apartment is painfully unfunny, especially when a sculptor friend of jimson michael gough arrives out of nowhere to add to the mess.
A friend of mine in a rock band here in new york recently asked me and another friend to show up at his concert wearing a horse mask. Where did the expression right from the horses mouth. Straight from the horses mouth is an expression commonly used to imply that supplied information is credible, trustworthy and reliable. According to this explanation, a smart buyer examines a horses teeth to determine its age and general health, so reliable information about the animal comes from its mouth. That news came straight from the horses mouth, so its true.
A smart horse trader or buyer could get all the information he needed from the horses. This expression first became popular around the 1920s. Synonyms for from the horses mouth in free thesaurus. The expression dont look a gift horse in the mouth means that it is rude and ungrateful to check the teeth of a horse given to you as a present, as you would one you were considering purchasing. When i was older, i asked my dad where this expression had originated. From the horses mouth idioms by the free dictionary. Meaning the phrase straight from the horses mouth refers to information and means from the person directly concerned or another authoritative source. The horses teeth can tell you the horses age and the health of the horse. Also put as straight from the horses mouth, this expression alludes to examining a horses teeth to determine its age and hence its worth. Horses dont loom large in the lives of most englishspeaking people today, but they did at the time that the modern english began to be formed, that is, in the 16th century. The phrase originated in the united states as a boast from a racetrack tipster. The following image doesnt help you understand the idiom, but i think the wagging tail is cute. And this got us all thinking about idioms involving a horse.
When i was a small child, my father told me that to learn the truth abut anything, you had to go to the horses mouth. When we say we got a bit of news straight from the horses mouth, we mean that we consider the source of the information authoritative and reliable. Horses can make a variety of facial expressions in response to their environment. Clear explanations of natural written and spoken english. Check the fit of your bridle and bit, and schedule a dental examination to make sure his teeth arent hurting him. For instance, after having confirmed some piece of information from someone, you tell them. The earliest printed version i can find of it is from the usa and clearly indicates the horseracing context in the syracuse herald, may 19. That is, directly, without hearing the truth from anyone else.
Straight from the horses mouth meaning of idiom from the horses mouth when information comes from the horses mouth it comes from the best authority or most dependable source, especially when the information comes directly from the person whom the information concerns or who has direct personal knowledge of the situation. Consolidate existing memberships into a single master membership, and get all the technical training, client education, communication and marketing support, in. Definition of straight from the horses mouth in the idioms dictionary. What is the source of the expression hear it from the.
Horse idioms what they mean and how to use them cae. If a horses mouth gapes while he is being ridden, he may be in pain. What is another word for straight from the horses mouth. Whats the origin of the phrase straight from the horse s mouth. Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expressionfor example, behind the times, on your own.
Your horses upper lip will be somewhat drawn back, giving the appearance that he has an obvious, more pointed chin. Origin this phrase is from horse racing, and alludes to the presumed ideal source for a racing tip. How to read your horses body language the horse owners. Also put as straight from the horses mo uth, this expression alludes to examining a horse s teeth to determine its age and hence its worth. Its believed the phrase evolved from there or that the idiom already existed and shakespeare was twisting. It usually refers to the assembly of components that contacts and controls the horses mouth, and includes the shanks, rings, cheekpads and mullen, all described here below, but it also sometimes simply refers to the mullen, the piece that fits inside the horses mouth. October 17, 2015 equine dentistry arlington, dentist, dr gentry. This videos has the meaning of the old english expression or idiom straight from the horses mouth with examples of how it is used. Your horses facial expression can signal hes in pain.
From the horses mouth definition and meaning collins. This english expression, as with many others, is a metaphor using an animal to express something which relates in no way whatsoever to horses. Last, if your horse stops eating and stands with his neck stretched out and his mouth gaping, he may be experiencing choke, an obstruction in his esophagus. According to the dictionary of word and phrase origins, this expression comes. Would you believe we came up with almost 20 phrases and. We have more phrases about horses than any other animal.
Your horses chin andor mouth will droop when hes feeling relaxed or sleepy. He was betting on a horse in a race, and he is reported to have said that he got his information straight from the horses mouth. Needless to say, this generated quite a bit of interest. Although this fact has been known for centuries and indeed gave rise to the adage, dont look a gift horse in the mouth, dating from the fifth century, the expression dates only from the 1920s. The notional from the horses mouth is supposed to indicate one step better than even that inner circle, that is, the horse itself. What to do for a horse with choke the horse owners resource. Tips on the likely winner are circulated among the punters. It comes from the practice of examining a horses teeth to determine its age.
The mullen extends across the horses mouth and rests on the bars, the region. If you hear something straight from the horse s mouth, you hear it from the person who has. Synonyms for straight from the horses mouth include firsthand, direct, immediate, primary, unmediated, actual, eyewitness, personal, straight and handson. The analogy here is to examining a horses teeth, which reveal its age with some accuracy. Definition of from the horses mouth in the idioms dictionary. The horses mouth, british screwball comedy film, released in 1958, that starred alec guinness as the eccentric fictional artist gulley jimson. They most trusted source are the ones closest to the horse, the stable boys. In essence, this means that the information was obtained firsthand, directly from the source or origin.
Im not actually sure if i am right but, i always thought that the saying came from the fact that when somebody was trying to sell a horse and they would maybe lie about the horses age, you can tell by looking at a horses teeth how old he his so you, in. I was disappointed that the antique vase my aunt gave me had a chip in the rim, but my mother said, dont look a gift horse in the mouth. The phrase straight from the horses mouth is a 20th century phrase. In addition to het up, the speaker uses cramp, her, them, and piece in. In this american english pronunciation video, well go over some of those idioms.
A smart horse trader or buyer could get all the information he needed from the horses mouth. Does anyone know the origin of the expression from the. The first time we stepped into the horses mouth, we were, quite honestly, stopped midgallop. The idiom originated with horse race betting where a bit of insider information that was straight from the horse s mouth was ostensibly from the horse itself, and thus, by implication, from someone very close to the horse jockey, horse trainer, stable boy, etc. It was adapted by guinness from the third part of a trilogy by english novelist joyce cary jimson is a talented but disreputable artist who has just been released from jail. Some common horse idioms, their meanings, and some ideas of how you could use them in your exam to make your english sound horse ome. Also let your veterinarian know if the discharge stops. To be straight from the horses mouth is to be from the most reliable source. Is the expression straight from the horses mouth offensive. If you get a piece of information from the horses mo uth, you get it directly from someone who is involved in it and knows most about it. Most of the other business in the movie, like a struggle between jimson and his exwife for a portrait of. Often, changes in a horses facial expression accompany other changes in body language. Its painter hero, the charming and larcenous gulley jimson, has an insatiable genius for creation and a no less remarkable appetite for destruction.
The most trusted authorities are considered to be those in closest touch with the recent form of the horse, that is, stable lads, trainers etc. The origins of 12 horserelated idioms mental floss. When you get a tip for a horse race, the tip is better as nearer it is to the horse e. Straight from the horses mouth idioms by the free dictionary. A warm, smoothly finished wood bar, shojiinspired light fixtures that dominate the ceiling, and eclectic touches like the bright colour displays, evoke images of autumn and summer. In horse racing circles tips on which horse is a likely winner circulate amongst punters. English english language etymology expression language usage writing. Is the phrase straight from the horses mouth offensive, or likely to be perceived as offensive when said about someone who is present. From the horses mouth definition, a large, solidhoofed, herbivorous quadruped, equus caballus, domesticated since prehistoric times, bred in a number of varieties, and used for carrying or pulling loads, for riding, and for racing. The horses mouth, the third and most celebrated volume of joyce carys first trilogy, is perhaps the finest novel ever written about an artist.
From the horses mouth synonyms, from the horses mouth. This, by the way, is the origin of the expression dont look a gift horse in the mouth dont quibble about something you arent paying for. The origin of this phrase has reference to horse racing. To look a gift horse in the mouth what does it mean. What is the dialect spoken in that quote from kipling in your all het up post. From the horses mouth definition of from the horses. When people say i got it straight from the horses mouth, what are they talking about. Your horses nostrils will be dilated on the sides, giving them a somewhat squarish appearance. What does straight from the horses mouth expression mean. This expression tempts us to find a story involving, say, a mythical talking equine whose every word is believable. From the horses mouth idiom of information from the person directly concerned or another authoritative source from the horses mouth origin. The definition of an idiom is the language or expressions used by a specific group of people. If you hear something from the horses mouth, you hear it from someone who knows that it.
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