Straight from the Horse's Mouth
Clip: Season 2023 | 3m 29sVideo has Closed Captions
This video comes "straight from the horse's mouth!" Learn the origin of this animal idiom.
The saying "straight from the horse’s mouth" means getting information directly from someone who knows it best. But why do we say this? Back in the old days, horses were a huge part of everyday life, especially as a way for people to get around. And some believed the surest way to tell a horse’s age was to examine its mouth. Take a peek inside in this episode of Say What?!, but hold your breath!
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Camp TV is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
Straight from the Horse's Mouth
Clip: Season 2023 | 3m 29sVideo has Closed Captions
The saying "straight from the horse’s mouth" means getting information directly from someone who knows it best. But why do we say this? Back in the old days, horses were a huge part of everyday life, especially as a way for people to get around. And some believed the surest way to tell a horse’s age was to examine its mouth. Take a peek inside in this episode of Say What?!, but hold your breath!
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship[upbeat music] - [Narrator] Have you ever heard someone say, "straight from the horse's mouth?"
What do you think that means?
- [Student One] Does it mean that they have bad breath?
- [Student Two] Your food looks like it's already been eaten by a horse?
- [Student Three] Yeah, directly from someone who would know.
[dinging] - [Narrator] Right.
The saying "straight from the horse's mouth," means getting information directly from someone who knows it best.
- Psst, I heard that Mr. James was going to cancel today's math test.
- Yeah, I heard that, too.
So, I decided to find out straight from the horse's mouth, and asked Mr. James.
- And?
- Oh, he's pretty excited to give us that test today.
- Hey math lovers, look at your watch.
It's test o'clock.
[upbeat music] - [Narrator] Whoa there.
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
What does getting the most accurate information have to do with a horse's mouth?
- Horse for sale.
Horse for sale.
- [Narrator] Well, back in the old days, You know, before the internet, horses were a huge part of everyday life, especially as a way for people to get around.
[car honking] You could say, buying a horse was like buying a car today.
And like cars, since it was such a big purchase, you didn't want to pay too much for a horse that might be on the older side and couldn't work for much longer.
- [whistles] Pretty expensive.
How old is this horse?
- Golly, there's really no way to tell, now is there?
Best to just pay my very high price, don't you think?
- [Narrator] But some believed that the surest way to tell a horse's age was to examine its mouth.
[newsroom theme music] - We have breaking news about the saying, "straight from the horse's mouth."
Clover Mane reports from the scene.
- That's right, Colt.
Some believe that the more worn down a horse's teeth and gums are, the older that horse is.
So in order to get the best information about something, you should go straight to the horse.
- And more specifically, you should get the information straight from the horse's mouth.
- It seems humans have long ago decided a horse's mouth means news you can trust.
Now back to the show.
- [Narrator] Thanks.
This idea about getting the best information was obviously popular, because the same saying appears in a number of other languages, like French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
So, the next time you're on a quest for facts, it's often best to trot straight over to whomever knows best, and get your information straight from the horse's mouth.
[upbeat music]
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