ProverbMorality
Latin origin4th c.
Latin origin4th c.Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Meaning: Don't question the value of a gift.
Origin: A horse's age can be judged by its teeth, so inspecting a gift horse's mouth means checking its value — ungracious in the recipient. Saint Jerome cited the Latin noli equi dentes inspicere donati in the 4th century, and John Heywood's 1546 collection has it in English.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, and 3 more languages
French: À cheval donné, on ne regarde pas les dents (literally: Don't look at the teeth of a gifted horse)
Spanish: A caballo regalado no se le mira el diente (literally: Don't look at the tooth of a gifted horse)
German: Einem geschenkten Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maul (literally: One does not look into the mouth of a gifted nag)
Italian: A caval donato non si guarda in bocca (literally: You don't look a gifted horse in the mouth)
Portuguese: A cavalo dado não se olha o dente (literally: You don't look at a gifted horse's teeth)
Dutch: Een gegeven paard moet men niet in de bek kijken (literally: One shouldn't look a gifted horse in the mouth)
Russian: Дарёному коню в зубы не смотрят (Daryonomu konyu v zuby ne smotryat) (literally: You don't look a gifted horse in the teeth)
Polish: Darowanemu koniowi nie zagląda się w zęby (literally: You don't look a gifted horse in the teeth)
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