It means don't scrutinize the gift. I believe it orginates from the fact that you can tell a horses age by the teeth. If you got a free horse, don't go checking its teeth to see how old it is, appreciate that you got the gift. So if you get a new TV for X-new TV for X-mas, dont complain that its not a 60in 1080p LCD.
This comes into the category of phrases called proverbs, that is, 'short and expressive sayings, in common use, which are recognized as conveying some accepted truth or useful advice'.
As horses age their teeth begin to project further forward each year and so their age can be estimated by checking how prominent the teeth are. This incidentally is also the source of another teeth/age related phrase - long in the tooth.
The advice given in the 'don't look...' proverb is: when given a present, be grateful for your good fortune and don't look for more by examining it to assess its value.
As with most proverbs the origin is ancient and unknown. We have some clues with this one however. The phrase was originally "don't look a given horse in the mouth" and first appears in print in 1546 in John Heywood's A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue, where he gives it as:
"No man ought to looke a geuen hors in the mouth."
Heywood is an interesting character in the development of English. He was employed at the courts of Henry VIII and Mary I as a singer, musician, and playwright. His Proverbs is a comprehensive collection of those known at the time and includes many that are still with us:
- Many hands make light work.
- Rome wasn't built in a day.
- A good beginning makes a good ending.
and so on. These were expressed in the literary language of the day, as in "would yee both eat your cake, and have your cake?", but the modern versions are their obvious descendents.
It would be nice to be able to attribute these to Heywood himself, but it's more likely that he collected them from common parlance. He can certainly be given the credit for introducing many proverbs to a wide and continuing audience and that includes one that Shakespeare later borrowed - All's well that ends well.
A phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely. Horses gum's recede as they age making the teeth appear to grow long. Therefore, inspecting the teeth of a horse given as a gift would mean that recipient is trying to see if the horse is old (undesirable) or young (more desirable).
You are looking a gift horse in the mouth when you receive a gift and then you question the value of that gift. Example: "This shirt you gave me is not my favorite brand." Reply: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth! That was the best they had."
You are like a person who has been given a horse as a gift (a gift-horse) and you are looking into the horse's mouth to see if it is in good health. Example: "Here is your drink." Reply: "Oh, I hate this kind." Answer: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
You should be thankful when you receive a gift, and not wish for something better. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth means don't measure the value of something that you have received for free. Example: "Great interception!" Reply: "Yes, but I almost scored a touchdown." Reply: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
Don't question the value of a gift. The proverb refers to the practice of evaluating the age of a horse by looking at its teeth. This practice is also the source of the expression “long in the tooth,” meaning old.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
It means don't scrutinize the gift. I believe it orginates from the fact that you can tell a horses age by the teeth. If you got a free horse, don't go checking its teeth to see how old it is, appreciate that you got the gift. So if you get a new TV for X-new TV for X-mas, dont complain that its not a 60in 1080p LCD.
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Meaning
Don't be ungrateful when you receive a gift.
Origin
This comes into the category of phrases called proverbs, that is, 'short and expressive sayings, in common use, which are recognized as conveying some accepted truth or useful advice'.
As horses age their teeth begin to project further forward each year and so their age can be estimated by checking how prominent the teeth are. This incidentally is also the source of another teeth/age related phrase - long in the tooth.
The advice given in the 'don't look...' proverb is: when given a present, be grateful for your good fortune and don't look for more by examining it to assess its value.
As with most proverbs the origin is ancient and unknown. We have some clues with this one however. The phrase was originally "don't look a given horse in the mouth" and first appears in print in 1546 in John Heywood's A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue, where he gives it as:
"No man ought to looke a geuen hors in the mouth."
Heywood is an interesting character in the development of English. He was employed at the courts of Henry VIII and Mary I as a singer, musician, and playwright. His Proverbs is a comprehensive collection of those known at the time and includes many that are still with us:
- Many hands make light work.
- Rome wasn't built in a day.
- A good beginning makes a good ending.
and so on. These were expressed in the literary language of the day, as in "would yee both eat your cake, and have your cake?", but the modern versions are their obvious descendents.
It would be nice to be able to attribute these to Heywood himself, but it's more likely that he collected them from common parlance. He can certainly be given the credit for introducing many proverbs to a wide and continuing audience and that includes one that Shakespeare later borrowed - All's well that ends well.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/117000.html
Alternative forms
* never look a gift horse in the mouth
A phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely. Horses gum's recede as they age making the teeth appear to grow long. Therefore, inspecting the teeth of a horse given as a gift would mean that recipient is trying to see if the horse is old (undesirable) or young (more desirable).
See also
* beggars can't be choosers
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/don%27t_look_a_gift_...
You are looking a gift horse in the mouth when you receive a gift and then you question the value of that gift. Example: "This shirt you gave me is not my favorite brand." Reply: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth! That was the best they had."
You are like a person who has been given a horse as a gift (a gift-horse) and you are looking into the horse's mouth to see if it is in good health. Example: "Here is your drink." Reply: "Oh, I hate this kind." Answer: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
You should be thankful when you receive a gift, and not wish for something better. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth means don't measure the value of something that you have received for free. Example: "Great interception!" Reply: "Yes, but I almost scored a touchdown." Reply: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
http://www.goenglish.com/DontLookAGiftHorseInTheMo...
Don't question the value of a gift. The proverb refers to the practice of evaluating the age of a horse by looking at its teeth. This practice is also the source of the expression “long in the tooth,” meaning old.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=Don%27t+l...
think, it mean don't judge someone gift too hard,just be grateful..
get satisfied