Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Proverbs 78. The proverb today is don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. This proverb could also be reworded as ' never look a gift horse in the mouth. ' So don't look a gift horse in the mouth or never look a gift horse in the mouth. All right. Let's continue. This proverb comes from the idea that it is possible to estimate a horse's age by examining its teeth. As a horse gets older more teeth grow in. So they actually have more teeth in their mouth and others change shape and move forward. Move forward in the mouth. So I guess in the past, it may be somebody you know, you're lucky somebody gave you a horse. Remember in the past horses were very, very valuable. They were like cars. Remember even during the cowboy days, they used to make it like a crime was like hanging for stealing a horse. So in the past time, horse was the main transportation. So very valuable. So if somebody gave you a horse you should be thankful. Don't start checking it out. Don't start looking at its teeth. How old is this horse ? Is this a good horse ? You gave me a used horse or something like that. So that's where the idea came from. So if you looked a gift horse in the mouth it means you were inspecting it to see how old it is , or checking out the quality of the horse. All right. Let's continue. The first known sighting of this proverb was written in Latin by Saint Jerome in the letter to the Ephesians around 400 AD. Okay, and this is how it went. In Latin Noi Equi dentes inspicere donate. Which basically means never inspect the teeth of a horse received as a present. So I think the noi is never. Equus I know it's horses. dentes of course is teeth. We know anything in dente. It always has to do with teeth Inspicere you know, this obviously is inspect. Donate donated given. So, so again. Never inspect the teeth of a horse received as a present. So it is the same idea today. Like if somebody gives you a gift. You know, don't start looking at the gift and start checking out the quality. Hey. You gave me this ? So how old is this ? Is this used ? Is this is good ? Don't do that. Just take the gift. Say thank you. Oh it's very nice. Thank you very much. Don't start inspecting it. So basically that's what we mean. Let's look at the first example. If someone gives you an unusual or questionable gift , don't ask too many questions about the quality of the gift . Never look a gift horse in the mouth. So that's basically what we mean. So just if you're questionable about it just take the gift just say thank you very much this was very nice of you. Something like that. Okay. Anyway I hope you got it. I hope it's clear. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye
A2 US horse gift mouth teeth inspect proverb English Tutor Nick P Proverbs (78) Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth 19 0 anitawu12 posted on 2019/06/19 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary