gift horse

Definitions

An apparent gift, that has substantial associated costs or drawbacks, especially a gift that does not fit perfectly with the recipient's wants or needs.

idiomatic

Equivalents

Examples

“Having now, as he thought, balanced this little account of friendship, the captain was about to shift his saddle to this noble gift-horse when the affectionate patriarch plucked him by the sleeve, and introduced to him a whimpering, whining, leathern-skinned old squaw, that might have⟳ passed for an Egyptian mummy, without drying. "This," said he, "is my wife; she is a good wife--I love⟳ her very much.--She loves the horse--she loves him a great deal⟳--she will cry⟳ very much at losing him.--I do not know⟳ how I shall comfort her--and that makes my heart very sore."”

“To human beings, on the other hand, each meme vehicle is a potential friend or foe, bearing a gift that will enhance our powers or a gift horse that will distract us, burden our memories, derange our judgment.”

“"Don't worry⟳. You can keep⟳ them. You don't have⟳ to pay⟳ for them." / Well, a gift horse and all that. I took the sneakers.”

“The woman on the telephone in the science-faculty office found me an address for Timothy Butler in no time at all. Full marks for information retrieval. Zero for security. If I had been consulted, I would have⟳ insisted that callers produce⟳ something more compelling than a vague interest⟳ in locating a student before his address could be handed over. Still, what it is they say⟳ about a gift horse?”

“You know⟳ what they say⟳ about a gift horse, man. This is free help⟳. Don't take⟳ it for granted.”

CEFR level