Search results
Oct 11, 2024 · Hold your horses!”. However, in the original translation from 1598, the phrase sounds like “Contain thy horses!”. Another theory traces its origins to the American West in the 19th century, where it was common for people to tell someone to literally “hold their horses” to prevent them from bolting. Regardless of its exact origin, the ...
- On Your Tod. The idiom to say you’re on your own comes from American jockey Tod Sloan’s riding style. He revolutionised race‐riding by winning races from the front, when “all alone” in the lead.
- Across The Board. This term, that describes something as all‐encompassing, originated from betting on horseracing. In the early 1900s, someone placing a bet “across the board” would collect if the horse finished first, second or third – much the same as each‐way betting as we know it today.
- Hands Down. When someone wins an event “hands down” it means an easy victory, often by a landslide margin. The saying comes from the way jockeys drop their hands to slacken the reins in order to ease up their mounts in the closing stages of comfortable victories.
- Starting From Scratch. The phrase “starting from scratch”, meaning to do something from the very beginning, comes from the way horse races were started before the introduction of stalls or flip starts.
- Don’T Look A Gift Horse in The Mouth
- Hold Your Horses!
- A Horse of A Different Color
- You Can Lead A Horse to Water, But You Can’T Make It Drink
- Horseplay
- Eat Like A Horse
- Trojan Horse
- Flogging A Dead Horse
- Get Off Your High Horse
- Straight from The Horse’S Mouth
There’s little doubt that most people have heard of this phrase before. This horse idiom has made its way into many languages and has one simple meaning: don’t be ungrateful. Appreciate when someone hands you a gift or does you a favor instead of looking for imperfections. According to some sources, this saying originated around 380 BC. It even app...
Another common horse idiom is “Hold your horses”, also used as “Hold the horses”. It means wait, hang on, don’t go ahead just yet. It often refers to situations when someone is about to make a rash decision or do something irresponsible. This horse idiom likely originates from 800 BC. It first appeared in Book 23 Homer’s “Iliad” in the sentence “An...
People use this horse idiom when referring to a different outcome or circumstance than what they expected. An example would be “This chore really is a horse of a different color!” The origins of this saying date back to the 1600s, when horses were an integral part of people’s lives. Many horses had pedigrees that listed their color at birth. Howeve...
This witty proverb is also widely used in the English language. It implies that you can present someone with an opportunity, but can’t force them to live with it. This horse idiom is actually one of the oldest English proverbs in our language. It was first noted in the Old English Homilies from 1175: “Hwa is thet mei thet hors wettrien the him self...
“Horseplay” is rough or unruly play that lacks sophistication. It can also address a person’s lack of manners in a given situation. The phrase likely originated in the 1580s, when people often used “horse” to describe anything coarse, big, or strong. “Horseplay” wasn’t the only word that resulted from this habit. Several plants like horseradish, ho...
Someone who eats like a horse can eat a lot of food. Horses normally consume the equivalent of 1.5-2% of their body weight per day. So for a 1,000-pound horse, that’s 15-20 pounds of food a day! As to when this phrase was first coined is unclear. According to Mental Floss, “eat like a horse” originated sometime in the 18th century.
A trojan horse is something that is disguised as another thing. It can refer to both objects and situations, with something often hidden beneath the surface. This well-known horse idiom is based on the story of the siege of Troy in Greek mythology. In 1250 BC, the Greeks wanted to capture the city of Troy, but it had strong and high walls that were...
Flogging a dead horse means a person is wasting their time pursuing something that will bring no results. An example would be “John, stop gambling already! You’re flogging a dead horse.” This horse idiom originated in the 1640s when it was common to pay sailors in advance. Having received their paycheck, most workers went into a spending spree and ...
This popular horse idiom is often used to point out when someone is being stuck-up and arrogant. By telling a person to get off their high horse, you’re asking them to be more agreeable and humble. In the Middle Ages, riding tall and strong war chargers was the privilege of royalty and warriors. Therefore, telling someone they were on a high horse ...
“Straight from the horse’s mouth” means a piece of information came directly from the original source. There are a few different theories explaining where the saying came from. Most agree that the idiom originated in the early 1900s. One possibility is that horse buyers in the 20th century often looked at the horse’s teeth to estimate its age and t...
May 4, 2022 · 3. Hands Down. These days, hands down usually means “indisputably” or “effortlessly.”. When it originated in the 19th century, the phrase specifically described a horse race that was won ...
1. “Hold your horses!“. When it originated: 800 BCE. A line in Book 23 of Homer’s Iliad is commonly translated as “Antilochus—you drive like a maniac! Hold your horses!” (Although the ...
However, Greek soldiers were hiding inside the horse, and once inside the walls, they were able to destroy the city. 6. Get Off Your High Horse. Meaning: Be more humble or agreeable. Example sentence: "Stop being so stubborn! You must get off your high horse and join in with the rest of us." 7.
People also ask
Are horse-related phrases still used today?
When did the phrase Eat Like a horse come out?
Where did the phrase 'one horse town' come from?
Are there any horse idioms?
Where did the idiom 'the horse' come from?
What does “Don't Look a gift horse in the mouth” mean?
Jun 17, 2021 · Here are six common phrases we use every day that got their origin in horse racing: “We made improvements across the board.”. Merriam-Webster defines the term ‘across the board’ as “embracing or affecting all classes or categories.”. It comes from a wagering term that means you placed bets on a horse to win, to place and to show.
