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Look a gift horse in the mouth
Look a gift horse in the mouth
Look a gift horse in the mouth : Phrases
Meaning:
To discourage too great an inspection of a gift, which might be less valuable than first thought.
Example:
Little Joey's mother told him to never look a gift horse in the mouth - to always accept with a grateful heart what was given to him and not to question whether the gift could have been better or not. Then she'd say, "Be thankful for what you've got."
Origin:
A horse analogy explains this saying: the age of a horse is well mirrored in the state of its teeth. Too close an inspection could result in a nasty surprise with the animal proving to be long in the tooth.