The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (214 page)
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Never look a GIFT horse in the mouth
A horse's age is commonly gauged by the state of its teeth. The proverb warns against questioning the quality or use of a lucky chance or gift. Cf.
a
420
ST. JEROME
Commentary on Epistle to Ephesians
Preface
noli .. ut vulgare proverbium est
,
equi dentes inspicere donati
, do not, as the common proverb says, look at the teeth of a gift horse.
a
1510
Vulgaria
(EETS) 27
A gyuen hors may not [be] loked in the tethe.
1546
Dialogue of Proverbs
I. v. B2
V
Where gyfts be gyuen freely, est west north or south, No man ought to loke a geuen hors in the mouth.
1659
Proverbs
80
No man ought to look a guift Horse in the mouth.
1710
Proverbs
40
Never look a Gift Horse in the Mouth.
1892
Diary of a Nobody
xviii.
I told him it was a present from a dear friend, and one mustn't look a gift-horse in the mouth.
1971
Riotous Assembly
ix.
The whole thing was a .. mystery. ‘Oh well, never look a gift horse in the mouth,’ he thought.
1997
Taken to Cleaners
xvii. 172
I couldn't believe he wasn't even going to scold me for not having the burglar alarm hooked up to my office window, but never look a gift horse in the mouth …
giving and receiving
;
gratitude and ingratitude
a
420
ST. JEROME
Commentary on Epistle to Ephesians
Preface
noli .. ut vulgare proverbium est
,
equi dentes inspicere donati
, do not, as the common proverb says, look at the teeth of a gift horse.
a1510
Vulgaria
(EETS) 27
A gyuen hors may not [be] loked in the tethe.
1546
Dialogue of Proverbs
I. v. B2
V
Where gyfts be gyuen freely, est west north or south, No man ought to loke a geuen hors in the mouth.
1659
Proverbs
80
No man ought to look a guift Horse in the mouth.
1710
Proverbs
40
Never look a Gift Horse in the Mouth.
1892
Diary of a Nobody
xviii.
I told him it was a present from a dear friend, and one mustn't look a gift-horse in the mouth.
1971
Riotous Assembly
ix.
The whole thing was a .. mystery. ‘Oh well, never look a gift horse in the mouth,’ he thought.
1997
Taken to Cleaners
xvii. 172
I couldn't believe he wasn't even going to scold me for not having the burglar alarm hooked up to my office window, but never look a gift horse in the mouth …
giving and receiving;
gratitude and ingratitude
GIVE and take is fair play
1778Evelina
I. xxv.
This here may be a French fashion .. but Give and Take is fair in all nations.
1832
Newton Forster
III. x.
Give and take is fair play. All I say is, let it be a fair stand-up fight.
1873
‘
Gilded Age
xxxiii.
She thought that ‘give and take was fair play’, and to parry an offensive thrust with a sarcasm was a neat and legitimate thing to do.
fair dealing;
tolerance
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