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A good horse is never a bad color?



 
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ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
Frowning to himself :) | To triple vs to treble; a verb for 'make thrice as less'
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A good horse is never a bad color? Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:32 am  A good horse is never a bad color?
 

Could you please help me make sense of this sentence:

A good horse is never a bad color? It seems this is the title of a book but maybe it's also an idiom? Have you ever heard this phrase and if in what context?

Thanks in advance,
Torsten
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Horse Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:52 am  Horse
 

Hi Torsten,

A quick search has revealed this:

Quote:
If something is a horse of a different color, it's a different matter or separate issue altogether.

This is apparently an American expression but your expression is new to me.

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A good horse is never a bad color? Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:31 am  A good horse is never a bad color?
 

Hmm... I’d understand that means: when you love/like someone (your horse Smile) it almost does not matter, how he/she looks.
Your lovely horse always has just the 'right' colour, in this sense.
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A good horse is never a bad color? Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:58 am  A good horse is never a bad color?
 

Hi Torsten

The expression "That's a horse of a different color" means "That's another matter entirely". It's a well-known expression in the US.

Your sentence sounds like a play on that expression. My literal interpretation of your quote is:
A well-trained (i.e., useful) horse is valuable no matter what color it is.

Amy
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A good horse is never a bad color? Mon Oct 09, 2006 19:24 pm  A good horse is never a bad color?
 

Hello everybody

I am translating one proverb from my language into English. This proverb seems more or less like what Torsten discussed.

1- A bad cover cannot hide a good book.

OR:

1- A good book does not have a bad cover.

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A good horse is never a bad color? Mon Oct 09, 2006 19:32 pm  A good horse is never a bad color?
 

Hi Tom

That reminds me of this English expression:

You can't judge a book by its cover. Very Happy

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It reminds me... :) Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:47 am  It reminds me... :)
 

Hi
Yankee wrote:
You can't judge a book by its cover.

All is not gold that glitters.
(Just one small step more Wink Smile)

(By the way, In Russian it is exactly the same.)
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It reminds me... :) Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:25 am  It reminds me... :)
 

Tamara wrote:
All is not gold that glitters.
(Just one small step more Wink Smile)

(By the way, In Russian it is exactly the same.)

This proverb has the opposite meaning, don't you think? We say it in Spanish too, but the one I prefer is:

Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda (Although the monkey dresses in silk, she is still a monkey) -- You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
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A good horse is never a bad color? Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:51 pm  A good horse is never a bad color?
 

Hi
Conchita wrote:
This proverb has the opposite meaning, don't you think?

Yes, Conchita, I know. It was just a (joking, but quite logical Smile) next step to the oppisite meaning

from: A bad cover cannot hide a good book.
through: You can't judge a book by its cover.
to: All is not gold that glitters.

Just a joke... Smile

More seriously: the more suitable equivalent I know is:
'fine dress helps to impress, but conversation/a good mind makes one what he is'
('Clothes do not make a man.')

Quote:
Although the monkey dresses in silk, she is still a monkey
Smile
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