Meaning of the phrase from the horse's mouth book

The best i can come up with in terms of what it means is this. This book explores the intriguing origins and development of about 800 words and expressions in english. The phrase appears in print in english in 1546, as dont look a given horse in the mouth, in john heywoods a dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the englishe tongue. The earliest printed version i can find of it is from the usa and clearly indicates the horse racing context in the syracuse herald, may 19. A gift horse in the mouth or straight from the horse s mouth.

Its painter hero, the charming and larcenous gulley jimson, has an insatiable genius for creation and a no less remarkable appetite for destruction. The horses mouth definition of the horses mouth by the. This example, also often expressed as never look a gift horse in the mouth, is as pertinent today as it ever was. Definition and synonyms of straight from the horses mouth from the online english dictionary from macmillan education this is the british english definition of straight from the horses mouth. Oxford dictionary of english idioms 9780199543793 and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Definition of straight from the horses mouth in the idioms dictionary. By putting a bit into the mouth of a horse, we can turn the horse in different directions. They come up all the time in both written and spoken english. What s the origin of the phrase dont look a gift horse in the mouth. These idioms are compiled from the cambridge international dictionary. Horse definition is a large solidhoofed herbivorous ungulate mammal equus caballus, family equidae, the horse family domesticated since prehistoric times and used as a beast of burden, a draft animal, or for riding.

Good news translation we put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want. Words, phrases or sayings origins, meanings by brownielocks. An idiom is a phrase, saying or a group of words that has a metaphorical not literal meaning, which has become accepted in common usage. The horses mo uth, the third and most celebrated volume of joyce carys first trilogy, is perhaps the finest novel ever written about an artist. The origins of 12 horserelated idioms mental floss. Horse idioms what they mean and how to use them cae exam tips. Most readers would generally agree that it derives from shortening the familiar english phrase, straight from the horse s mouth, the meaning of which is clear enough. Did you know that taken aback was adopted from nautical terminolo. Why is someones behaviour said to be beyond the pale. The phrase is straight from the horse s mouth which means you got the answer from the source. Dec 09, 20 the phrase, straight from the horses mouth, literally means from the highest power, and is used to describe news, statements, or ideas that come right from the executive power. Origin this phrase is from horse racing, and alludes to the presumed ideal source for a racing tip. Because the older a horse gets, the longer their teeth become.

The phrase to hear something straight from the horses mouth means that you heard the information from someone who has personal knowledge on the spoken. Evidently, there was a time when those people who had been given a horse as a gift would look into its mouth to see how old it was and if it wasnt a young horse, they would complain about the gift that had been given to them. Meaning of straight from the horses mouth in english straight from the horses mouth if you hear something straight from the horses mouth, you hear it from the person who has direct personal knowledge of it. The phrase straight from the horses mouth has become an idiom. Heres a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead. Here are several commonly used phrases and sayings starting with the letter b. There are a large number of idioms and they are used very commonly in all languages.

With so many existing, youll likely come across some that youre unfamiliar with. You have to hold the button down for several seconds. 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. Alec guinness wrote the screenplay from the 1944 novel the horses mo uth by joyce cary, and also played the lead role of gulley jimson, a london artist. I know since i heard it straight from the horses mouth. Definition of from the horses mo uth in the idioms dictionary. From the horses mouth definition and meaning collins. The horses mo uth is a 1958 film directed by ronald neame and filmed in technicolor. I am wanting a title like the horse s mouth for my newsletter but i dont really want to call myself a horse. You can use this list to learn about their meaning and origin. This expression may refer to the fact that you can tell a horses age by looking at its teeth.

Straight from the horses mouth phrase definition and. The horses mouth by joyce cary ive never read a book so true to the character of a true artist. If you keep your mouth shut, you wont put your foot in it. Or that having an axe to grind originated in a story told by benjamin franklin. The phrase is used to indicate that something is definitely true, or heard firsthand. So if the ceo of a company told everybody in a meeting that there was going to be downsizing next summer, that would be straight from the horses mouth. That is, directly, without hearing the truth from anyone else. Long in the tooth its meaning and origin know your phrase. That may seem like a lot of work, but learning idioms is fun, especially when you compare english idioms to the idioms in. This is a list, which contains exactly 66 of the most commonly used idioms and their meaning.

By the book by the by by the skin of your teeth by the sweat of your brow by virtue of by word of mouth c cabin fever caesars wife must be above suspicion cajole someone into something. Bruce murray, college of education the reading genie. In other words, you have talked to the person that made a statement. The horses mo uth is a 1944 novel by angloirish writer joyce cary, the third in his first trilogy, whose first two books are herself surprised 1941 and to be a pilgrim 1942. To be straight from the horse s mouth is to be from the most reliable source. The most likely is that it comes from horseracing circles. Basically that includes anything that most people will have heard before and will recognise the meaning of. Jan 14, 2020 straight from the horse s mouth not comparable directly from the source. Straight from the horses mouth phrase meaning and origin.

The third edition contains entries for over 6,000 idioms, including 700 entirely new entries, based on oxfords language monitoring and the ongoing third edition of the oxford english dictionary. My answer is going to be slightly different than the ones you will find on the internet. These links take you to researchbased instruction in learning to read. Why do you want to go to the rumour mongers when you can get it straight from the horse s mouth. The phrase comes from the old days when determining how old a horse was was done by looking at his teeth. Dec 16, 2007 in the book of numbers, god speaks to the prophet balaam through a donkey. No you can estimate a horse s age by looking at its teeth. Why do we describe something as a1, a lame duck, or straight from the horses mouth. We have a list full of hundreds of phrases and sayings. Holman christian standard bible now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. Straight from the horses mouth and millions of other books are available for. What is the origin of the phrase from the horses mouth.

Dont look a gift horse in the mouth meaning and origin. What does got it straight from the horses mouth mean answers. What does it mean when someone says, it takes a village to raise a child. List of animal idioms about horses and their meanings. The meanings for each expression are provided, along with example sentences to clarify the meanings in context. Know your phrase common phrases, popular sayings, idiom list. Im going to go to ask her and hear it straight from the horses mouth. This means that english idioms should not be taken literally, because their meaning is metaphorical. In horse racing circles tips on which horse is a likely winner circulate amongst punters. The meaning and origins of 100 common idioms or phrases are explained in. English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday english. We take the phrase straight from the horses mouth to mean getting information from an. What does straight from the horses mouth expression mean.

Now, lets talk about when this expression shows up in print. Proverbs are short and expressive sayings, in common use, which are recognized as conveying some accepted truth or useful advice. Translations in context of from the horses mouth in englishspanish from reverso context. In this book, john ayto offers a fresh look at the idiomatic phrases and sayings that make english the rich language that it is. You can use this list to learn about their meaning. She picked up the trophy and held it over her head. If you dont believe me, go talk to him and hear it straight from the horse s mouth. The horses mo uth follows the adventures of gulley jimson, an artist who would exploit his friends and acquaintances to earn money, told from his point of view, just as the other books in the first trilogy tell events. When you get information straight from the horse s mouth, it means you are suppose to be getting honest, correct information. The expression, which means reliable or on good authority, has two possible origins.

The origin of this phrase has reference to horse racing. This expression first became popular around the 1920s. Definition and synonyms of from the horses mouth from the online english dictionary from macmillan education this is the british english definition of from the horses mouth. For further details on an expression, give it a click or tap. Horse idioms what they mean and how to use them cae. To look a gift horse in the mouth what does it mean. Spanishidioms wikibooks, open books for an open world. An idiom is a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. Straight from the horses mouth idioms by the free dictionary. The phrase to hear something straight from the horses mouth means that you heard the information from someone who has personal knowledge on the spoken matter.

Its best to hear it straight from the horse s mouth so you know its true. From the horses mouth definition of from the horses. Whats the origin of the phrase straight from the horse s mouth. So it is possible to give an approximation for how old a horse is simply by looking at their teeth. If you get a piece of information from the horses mouth, you get it directly from someone who is involved in it and knows most about it. Fun farming idioms, proverbs and phrases t cupps junior. However, sometimes idioms can make little or no sense. In this article im going to explain some horse idioms and phrases and suggest ways you could use them to make your english sound more advanced. I got a tip yesterday, and if it wasnt straight from the horse s mouth it was jolly well the next thing to it. What is the source of the expression hear it from the. In the same application, there is another group of people, who.

A healthy and vigorousrooted plant that is used in grafting, most commonly as a sound base to support a scion that. The notional from the horse s mouth is supposed to indicate one step better than even that inner circle, i. Straight from the horses mouth straightlaced straight to the point. If the horse is blind it doesnt matter whether you nod your head or wink your eye, he still wont see it. Straight from the horses mouth meaning in the cambridge. Hold definition is to have possession or ownership of or have at ones disposal.

What i say is, why not do some real work, your ladyship. The notional from the horses mouth is supposed to indicate one step better than even that, the horse itself. But thanks to electronic scholarship and my jewish upbringing, modern english speaking readers who wonder about the significance of phrases such as suck the milk of nations, can confidently raise a hand in sunday school and with knowledge straight from the horses mouth american idiom explain it as. If you hear something straight from the horse s mouth, you hear it from the person who has.

Learn the words you need to communicate with confidence. Nov 16, 2014 a horses age can be determined by looking at its teeth. The horse s teeth can tell you the horse s age and the health of the horse. Because idioms dont always make sense literally, youll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom.

And when the whole place is full of dry rot and ghosts and old bones and the shelves are breaking down with old wormy books that no one could read if they tried, and the attic floors are bulging through the servants ceilings with old trunks and topboots and gasoliers and dressmakers dummies and ball frocks and. From the horses mouth definition and meaning collins english. Jan 31, 20 what is the meaning of the idiom you got it straight from the. Our database is made from phrases, idioms and sayings that are in common use in english. The cambridge international dictionary explains over 7,000 idioms current in british, american and other english speaking countries, helping learners to understand them and use them with confidence. The most trusted authorities are considered to be those in closest touch with the recent form of the horse, i.

From the horse s 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. Some people think that it might also because a horses age can be determined most precisely and directly by examining its teeth. View american english definition of from the horses mouth change your default dictionary to american english. Did you know that taken aback was adopted from nautical terminology. View american english definition of straight from the horses mouth change your default dictionary to american english.

A smart horse trader or buyer could get all the information he needed from the horse s mouth. Having the approval or authorization of an authority or public body. This is the book i wish id had when i first studied reading education. For instance, your neighbor tells you that she heard the school bus was going to be late arriving with the kids. What is another word for straight from the horse s mouth. Straight from the horses mouth the grammarphobia blog.

Here are some from top 100 most useful idioms and their meaning and more to these top 100 most useful idioms will be on pictorial display here on this page too. The meaning and origin of the phrase ring aring of roses, a pocketfull of posies, atishoo, atishoo, all fall down. The common understanding of the idiom is that stable boys who groomed racing horses would do inspections of. The phrase long in the tooth originates from horses, or more specifically, a horses teeth. For me the most impressive contribution is chandler kirwin s the bubble reputation. As with most proverbs the origin is ancient and unknown. From the horses mouth idioms by the free dictionary. The english translation is a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse, but thats still a bit obscure. When he hears, straight from the horses mouth, what a good worker you are, hell increase your wages. He held the pen in his mouth while he dialed the number. Jan 25, 2019 the oxford dictionary defines the word idiom as a. I want to use the phrase horse s mouth in one of the applications that i am creating to refer to a group that have the original story. These and many other idioms are explained and put into context in the delightful third edition of the oxford dictionary of english idioms.

List of animal idioms about horses and their meanings how does the list works. Dictionary of word and phrase origins on apple books. It comes from the practice of examining a horses teeth to determine its age. An idioms symbolic sense is quite different from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made. Meaning the phrase straight from the horses mouth refers to information and means from the person directly concerned or another authoritative source. Top 100 most useful idioms and their meaning the famous idioms. Synonyms for straight from the horse s mouth include firsthand, direct, immediate, primary, unmediated, actual, eyewitness, personal, straight and handson. Straight from the horses mouth 100 idioms, their meanings and origins is a book that had its origins in a roughdraft blog post which i penned.

What is another word for straight from the horses mouth. The many thousands of phrases that are used every day in colloquial speech, like the whole nine yards, go for it and kiss and make up. There are 3 parts to each idioms the first part is what the idiom is, then an explanation of what it means and the last part is an example of how to use it in a sentence. Deutsch english espanol francais italiano nederlands polski portugues romana turkce. Bridle definition, part of the tack or harness of a horse, consisting usually of a headstall, bit, and reins.

If you hear something from the horse s mouth, you hear it from someone who knows that it. If you are a professional horse dentist and my girlfriend tells me thats a real job then you can tell a lot. What effect does the repetition of the phrase straight from the horse s mouth have. Looking a gift horse in the mouth would be like judging the gifts value or appearing ungrateful. If you hear something straight from the horses mouth, you hear it from the person who has. Kirwin proposes that leonardo intended to cast the great horse not by means of the lostwax process but in the way in which cannon were cast, and also that the total height of the horse may have been not 7. These idioms and phrases are compiled from cambridge. From the horses mouth phrase definition and synonyms. That news came straight from the horse s mouth, so its true.