darovanému koni na zuby nekoukej
Czech
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editLiterally, “don't look at the teeth of a gift horse”. Since horses' teeth grow over time, checking their length is a way of gauging old age, and therefore a sign of mistrust towards the giver. Although uncertain, the origin can be traced even further to St. Jerome's Latin translation equi donati dentes non inspiciuntur, from the Letter to the Ephesians, circa AD 400.
Pronunciation
editProverb
editdarovanému koni na zuby nekoukej
Further reading
edit- “kůň”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989