proverb · Words worth keeping
Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying discourages inspecting a gift horse’s mouth. As an analogy, it asks gratitude not to be displaced by searching for a gift’s shortcomings.
What the words are saying
The inspection stands for evaluating what is offered. A responsible interpretation can value the gesture without forbidding questions about suitability or conditions. Receiving a gift does not require accepting risk or overlooking a practical concern, and the phrase supplies no animal-assessment method.
Everyday example
Someone thanks a giver and respectfully asks about a detail needed to use the gift appropriately.
When to use it
Use it to discuss gratitude alongside legitimate questions.
What it does not mean
Gratitude does not remove the right to check suitability or decline an unsuitable gift.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 273; PDF page 42
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.