Expression idiomatique en anglais: Straight from the horse’s mouth

• From a dependable or reliable source
• From the highest authority
• From someone who has personal knowledge
• From a direct or firsthand source

• What you heard is true. I know since I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.
• I don’t believe it that he’s leaving. I’m going to go to him and hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.
• Don’t trust what you hear on the grapevine. It’s best to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth so you know it’s true.

The first origin is that a horse’s age can be easily determined by looking at the teeth. Never tried it myself, but those that know are able to do this. So, if you were buying a horse and you needed to confirm the age, you would open the animal’s mouth, stick your head inside, and check the teeth. Hence, your information would be correct and, straight from the horse’s mouth.

The second one relates to horse racing. Tips on the likely winner are circulated among the punters. They most trusted source are the ones closest to the horse, the stable boys.

The phrase has been used since the early 1900s.

Consultez notre rubrique « ressources pédagogiques » pour vous entraîner sans stresser en anglais, espagnol, FLE, portugais, etc. grâce à une multitude de sites internet soigneusement sélectionnés pour leur qualité et fiabilité.

Source: http://idioms.in/straight-from-the-horses-mouth/