From A Hog On Ice and Other Curious Expressions by Charles Earle Funk (Harper & Row; 1948)
"To look a gift horse in the mouth - This expression or proverb is so old that its origin cannot be determined. It has been traced to the writings of St. Jerome, one of the Latin Fathers of the fourth century, who then labeled it a common proverb. The expression, or a variant proverb, occurs in French, Italian, Spanish, and other languages of Europe. The reference is, of course, to the bad manners displayed by one who receives a gift if he examines it for defects. Up to a certain age, the age of a horse can be determined by looking at its teeth; though it may appear to be young and frisky, the number or condition of the teeth may show it to be almost fit for nothing but the glue-works."
Reference the second:
From Cool Cats, Top Dogs, and Other Beastly Expressions by Christine Ammer (Houghton Mifflin; 1999)
"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth - The first person on record for issuing this warning to accept a gift in good faith was St. Jerome, who stated it in Latin about A.D. 420, in his commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians. Jerome was replying to critics of his writings and telling them not to find fault with freewill offerings. The metaphor rests on the fact that a horse's age is revealed by its teeth, and as the identical phrase appears in French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, the concept obviously has international endorsement."
Ms. Ammer goes on to say, "On the other hand, H.L. Mencken, in his essay on popular fallacies, pointed out: 'Some people have a knack of putting upon you gifts of no real value, to engage you to substantial gratitude.' His countryman, William Allingham, put it even more emphatically, holding that the policy of not looking a gift horse in the mouth 'may easily be carried too far.' Indeed, the gift may be a white elephant." |
