hɪr ɪt streɪt frɒm ðə hɔːrsɪz maʊθ
Animals
informal
intermediate
- Literally:
- To receive information directly from a horse's mouth
What does "hear it straight from the horse's mouth" mean?
- To get information directly from the most reliable source
- To hear something from the person with firsthand knowledge
Examples
- I heard it straight from the horse's mouth—she's resigning.
- Don't believe rumors. Get the story from the horse's mouth.
- He told me himself, so I got it straight from the horse's mouth.
Origin
From horse racing and trading—a horse's age can be determined by examining its teeth. Getting information 'from the horse's mouth' means getting the truth directly.
How to use it
Emphasizes reliability and directness of information. Often used to validate information.
Similar expressions
from the source
firsthand
directly
Opposites
secondhand
through the grapevine
hearsay
Related idioms
- kill two birds with one stone
To accomplish two goals with a single action
- let the cat out of the bag
To reveal a secret accidentally
- elephant in the room
An obvious problem or issue that everyone is aware of but no one wants to discuss
- don't count your chickens before they hatch
Don't assume success before it actually happens
- hold your horses
To wait and be patient
- fish out of water
Someone who feels awkward or uncomfortable in a particular situation
Use it in a practice answer
Try "hear it straight from the horse's mouth" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.