Idiom
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth means do not find fault with a gift or a lucky offer; just accept it gratefully.
How people use it
People say it when someone starts complaining about something they got for free: "The used bike has a scratch? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." It is gentle advice to be grateful instead of picky. The tone is informal and a bit old-fashioned. You will also hear "never look a gift horse in the mouth," or just a mention of "a gift horse." It applies to gifts, favors, bonuses and lucky breaks. It does not mean you must accept every offer without thinking; it is about not being ungrateful.
Also said: never look a gift horse in the mouth, look a gift horse in the mouth, a gift horse.
Examples
- The free concert tickets are in the back row, but don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
- Ben grumbled that the bonus was small, so his dad told him never to look a gift horse in the mouth.
- I know the hand-me-down coat isn't your favorite color, but don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Where it comes from
You can judge a horse's age by looking at its teeth, which change and wear down over the years. Checking the teeth of a horse someone has just given you would be like asking how much a present cost, a rude way of judging a gift. The proverb is very old. John Heywood's 1546 collection includes a version saying no one ought to look a given horse in the mouth, and similar sayings existed in Latin even earlier.
Check yourself
1. What does the proverb don't look a gift horse in the mouth advise?
Answer: Be grateful for gifts instead of finding fault. The saying warns against criticizing something you received for free.
2. Why would someone look in a horse's mouth?
Answer: To judge its age from its teeth. A horse's teeth show roughly how old it is, so checking them judges its value.
Similar idioms
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