Never look a gift horse in the mouth
<p><span word="Wei">Wei</span> <span word="asks">asks</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="proverb">proverb</span> “<span word="never">never</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="gift">gift</span> <span word="horse">horse</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mouth">mouth</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Thanks">Thanks</span>, <span word="Wei">Wei</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="raising">raising</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="question">question</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="sent">sent</span> <span word="yours">yours</span> <span word="truly">truly</span> <span word="flurrying">flurrying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fresh">fresh</span> <span word="research">research</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="proverb">proverb</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="too">too</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="gift">gift</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="gives">gives</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="gift">gift</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="free">free</span>.</p><p><span word="Don">Don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span>, <span word="look">look</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mouth">mouth</span>.</p><p><span word="Horse">Horse</span> <span word="owners">owners</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="look">look</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="horses">horses</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mouth">mouth</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="check">check</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="teeth">teeth</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="teeth">teeth</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="young">young</span>, <span word="smooth">smooth</span>, <span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="healthy">healthy</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="horses">horses</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="healthy">healthy</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="teeth">teeth</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="worn">worn</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="horses">horses</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="useless">useless</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="saying">saying</span>: <span word="Never">Never</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="gift">gift</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mouth">mouth</span>.</p><p><span word="Lest">Lest</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="accused">accused</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="ungrateful">ungrateful</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ingrate">ingrate</span>. <span word="Gifts">Gifts</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="free">free</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="will">will</span>. <span word="They">They</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="handed">handed</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="physical">physical</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="material">material</span> <span word="value">value</span>. <span word="Therefore">Therefore</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="appreciated">appreciated</span> <span word="accordingly">accordingly</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="generosity">generosity</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="spirit">spirit</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="gesture">gesture</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="proverb">proverb</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="origin">origin</span>. <span word="Saint">Saint</span> <span word="Jerome">Jerome</span> (<span word="c">c</span>. 347 – 30 <span word="September">September</span> 420), <span word="who">who</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="translating">translating</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Bible">Bible</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="Latin">Latin</span>, <span word="first">first</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="This">This</span>, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Trivia">Trivia</span>-<span word="Library">Library</span>.<span word="com">com</span>:</p><p><span word="St">St</span>. <span word="Jerome">Jerome</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="accepted">accepted</span> <span word="payment">payment</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="writings">writings</span>, <span word="first">first</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="reply">reply</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="literary">literary</span> <span word="critics">critics</span>. <span word="His">His</span> <span word="exact">exact</span> <span word="words">words</span>: “<span word="Never">Never</span> <span word="inspect">inspect</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="teeth">teeth</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="gift">gift</span> <span word="horse">horse</span>.”</p>
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