Hold your horses, dear reader! What could be more reliable than receiving information straight from the horse’s mouth? This phrase suggests that you’re hearing something from the most direct and unquestionable source—a horse itself, if it were capable of human speech. Let’s unbridle this expression’s origins, meanings, and see how it gallops through our linguistic landscape!
Related Expressions and Terms:
- Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth: This means don’t scrutinize a gift too closely. It shares the theme of horse examination with our main idiom and dates back centuries.
- The gospel truth: Similar in connotation to our featured phrase, it suggests something is absolutely true.
- From the source: A modern sibling of our idiom often used when referring people directly to the original information or authority.
Synonyms:
- Directly from the source
- First-hand
- Authenticated information
Antonyms:
- Hearsay
- Gossip
- Second-hand information
Humorous Quotes:
- “Getting information about a horse from anyone but the owner is like trying to learn quantum physics from a fruit fly.”
- “In the age of fake news, hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth is not just a phrase—it’s a breath of fresh air!”
Proverbs:
- “Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see.”
- “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”
Literature and Song Suggestions:
- Books: “Kitty Foyle” by Christopher Morley (1939), where the phrase was immortalized.
- Songs: “Straight from the Horse’s Mouth” by Chet Atkins, a tune laden with linguistic playfulness.
Movie Recommendations:
- Silver Stallion (1993) - A touching story hinged on the trust and tales straight from a horse’s perspective.
- Seabiscuit (2003) - Based on the real-life underdog horse, trustworthiness resonates throughout the tale.
### Which of these expressions suggest reliability?
- [ ] A bucket of bells
- [x] Straight from the horse’s mouth
- [ ] A handful of wind
- [ ] Standing in a puddle of promises
> **Explanation:** "Straight from the horse's mouth" is the idiom that means information is coming from a highly reliable source.
### Which idiom indicates receiving truth directly and not from hearsay?
- [x] Straight from the horse's mouth
- [ ] A fly on the wall
- [ ] Up a tree without a paddle
- [ ] Burning the midnight oil
> **Explanation:** "Straight from the horse’s mouth" is used to denote getting information directly from a reliable source.
### True or False: “From the horse’s mouth” suggests unreliable sources.
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation:** False. This expression indicates the information came from a highly trustworthy source.
### In which century did the phrase "from the horse's mouth" date back?
- [ ] 18th Century
- [x] 20th Century
- [ ] 10th Century
- [ ] 21st Century
> **Explanation:** The phrase "from the horse's mouth" emerged in the 1920s, making it part of 20th-century vernacular.
### Identify the idiom that would NOT be considered first-hand information.
- [ ] Directly from the source
- [ ] From the horse’s mouth
- [ ] The gospel truth
- [x] Hearsay
> **Explanation:** "Hearsay" is not first-hand information; it often refers to rumors or unverified accounts.
Farewell Thought:
“Embrace the journey of language discovery, for every word and idiom we uncover brings us closer to understanding our tangled tongues and intricate expressions.”
Published with a touch of equestrian elegance by I. M. Supposestead, 2023. Keep listening to those horse whispers, for therein lies true wisdom.
