1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

HORSE!

Of course, this explanation refutes the popular notion that the expression was somehow linked to the original Trojan Horse. In 1184 BC (long before St. Jerome's day), the Greek armies defeated the city of Troy by hiding inside a giant wooden horse. Built on wheels, the Trojan Horse was pushed inside the city walls, where the warriors leapt out for the surprise assault. Certainly, a peek inside this horse's mouth would have been dangerous, but the proverb did not arise until much later.

AN OLD ENGLISH PROVERB?

Literary analysts also credit John Heywood with coining the phrase, primarily because it appeared in his 1546 work, "A Dialogue Conteinyng the Nomber in Effect of All the Prouerbes in the Englishe Tongue" [sic] A member of the courts of England's King Henry VIII and Queen Mary I, Heywood is cited as creator of many common phrases. These include: "Many hands make light work" and "Rome wasn't built in a day."

SOURCES:
http://militaryhi story.about.com/b/2007/04/23/t rojan-horse-city-burns.htm
http ://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings /117000.html
http://www.wisegee k.com/why-shouldnt-i-look-a-gi ft-horse-in-the-mouth.htm
www.t rivia-library.com/b/origins-of -sayings-dont-look-a-gift-hors e-in-the-mouth.htm http://acronyms.thefreediction ary.com/Never+Look+A+Gift+Hors e+in+the+Mouth http://www.quotationspage.com/ quote/24480.html

Learn more about this author, Linda Ann Nickerson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about Proverbs explained: Never look a gift horse in the mouth?
We want to hear your view. Write now!