Learn English – Don’t look a gift-horse in the mouth

idiomsmeaningproverbs

Don't look a gift-horse in the mouth.

What is a gift-horse? Why shouldn't you look in its mouth?
What does this idiom actually mean and how is it used?

Best Answer

A gift horse is a horse that was a gift, quite simply. When given a horse, it would be bad manners to inspect the horse's mouth to see if it has bad teeth. This can be applied as an analogy to any gift: Don't inspect it to make sure it matches some standard you have, just be grateful!