three things are not to be trusted: a cow’s horn, a dog’s tooth, and a horse’s hoof
- three things are not to be trusted: a cow’s horn, a dog’s tooth, and a horse’s hoof
Cf. 13th-cent. Fr. dent de chael, pé de cheval, cul d’enfant ne sunt pas a crere, a dog’s tooth, a horse’s hoof, and a baby’s bottom are not to be trusted.
c 1383 JOHN OF FORDUN Scotichronicon (1759) II. XIV. xxxii. Till horsis fote thou never traist, Till hondis tooth, no womans faith.
1585 S. ROBSON Choice of Change K2 Trust not 3 things. Dogs teeth. Horses feete. Womens Protestations.
1910 P. W. JOYCE English as We speak it in Ireland 110 Three things are not to be trusted—a cow’s horn, a dog’s tooth and a horse’s hoof.
1948 T. H. WHITE Elephant & Kangaroo xiii. He was..beginning to worry about being employed by a venomous Englishman. ‘Four things not to trust,’ said the Cashelmor proverb: ‘a dog’s tooth, a horse’s hoof, a cow’s horn, and an Englishman’s laugh.’
Proverbs new dictionary.
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dog — see feed a dog for three days and he will remember your kindness for three years; feed a cat for three years and she will forget your kindness in three days give a dog a bad name and hang him dog does not eat dog every dog has his day every dog… … Proverbs new dictionary
three — see three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead three removals are as bad as a fire three things are not to be trusted: a cow’s horn, a dog’s tooth, and a horse’s hoof bad things come in threes two boys are half a boy, and three boys are no… … Proverbs new dictionary
horse — see you can take a horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink don’t change horses in mid stream England is the paradise of women, the hell of horses, and the purgatory of servants never look a gift horse in the mouth a good horse cannot be… … Proverbs new dictionary
cow — see why buy a cow when milk is so cheap? a bellowing cow soon forgets her calf better a good cow than a cow of a good kind it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail three things are not to be trusted: a cow’s horn, a dog’s tooth, and a… … Proverbs new dictionary
Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, Thematic Index — absence absence makes the heart grow fonder he who is absent is always in the wrong the best of friends must part blue are the hills that are far away distance lends enchantment to the view out of sight, out of mind … Proverbs new dictionary
thing — see if a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well all good things must come to an end all things are possible with God all things come to those who wait bad things come in threes the best things come in small packages … Proverbs new dictionary
United Kingdom — a kingdom in NW Europe, consisting of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: formerly comprising Great Britain and Ireland 1801 1922. 58,610,182; 94,242 sq. mi. (244,100 sq. km). Cap.: London. Abbr.: U.K. Official name, United Kingdom of Great… … Universalium
