gift horse

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gift horse

A man receives a gift horse from a friend.

Definition

Noun: A gift, especially one that may be of modest or questionable value, that should be accepted graciously without criticism or excessive scrutiny. The term originates from the full idiom "don't look a gift horse in the mouth," which advises against inspecting the teeth of a horse received as a gift to determine its age and value, as this would be ungrateful.

Usage

The term "gift horse" is almost exclusively used in the context of the proverb "don't look a gift horse in the mouth." It serves as a metaphorical object representing any unsolicited present or benefit. The core instruction is to accept such a gift without complaint or analysis of its worth.

Examples
  • The free hotel breakfast was just toast and coffee, but remember, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
  • He complained that the concert tickets were for the back row. I told him to stop examining the gift horse so closely.
  • It's an old laptop, but it was free. I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Advanced Usage
  • The phrase can be adapted or shortened in creative writing or speech. For example: "She was a master of gift-horse dentistry," humorously implying someone who habitually finds faults with gifts.
  • It can be used to gently chide someone: "Ah, you're looking that gift horse right in the teeth, aren't you?"
Variants and Related Words
  • Proverb/Idiom: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." This is the full and standard form.
  • Beware of Greeks bearing gifts: A related proverb warning that a gift from an enemy may be treacherous, emphasizing caution rather than uncritical acceptance.
Synonyms
  • Freebie
  • Boon (archaic/literary)
  • Gratuity (in the sense of something given freely)
Related Idioms
  • "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth": This is the primary and only major idiom containing the term "gift horse." Its meaning is as defined above: to accept a gift without criticizing it.
  • "Never kick a gift horse in the teeth": A humorous and emphatic variant with the same core meaning.
gift horse

A man receives a gift horse from a friend.

Noun
  1. a gift (usually of inferior quality) that should be accepted uncritically
    • it wasn't much, but don't look a gift horse in the mouth