high horse

high horse
high horse originally (late 14c.) "fine, tall horse; war horse, charger" (high steed is from c.1300), also, like high hall, "status symbol;" figurative sense of "airs, easily wounded dignity" in mount (one's) high horse "affect airs of superiority" is from 1782 (Addison has to ride the great horse in the same sense, 1716). Cf. Fr. monter sur ses grands chevaux; "The simile is common to most languages" [Farmer].

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • high horse — high′ horse′ n. a haughty attitude • Etymology: 1375–1425 …   From formal English to slang

  • high horse — noun an attitude of arrogant superiority get off your high horse and admit you are wrong • Hypernyms: ↑attitude, ↑mental attitude * * * noun 1. : an unyielding, pretentious, or arrogant mood : a high and mighty air or attitude …   Useful english dictionary

  • high horse — /ˈhaɪ hɔs/ (say huy haws) noun 1. a warhorse; charger. –phrase 2. get off one s high horse, to cease to adopt a superior or indignant tone. 3. get on one s high horse, Colloquial to adopt a superior tone or attitude that gives offence to others.… …  

  • high horse — n. (colloq.) arrogance to get on one s high horse * * * (colloq.) [ arrogance ] to get on one s high horse …   Combinatory dictionary

  • To be on a high horse — High High, a. [Compar. {Higher}; superl. {Highest}.] [OE. high, hegh, hey, heh, AS. he[ a]h, h?h; akin to OS. h?h, OFries. hag, hach, D. hoog, OHG. h?h, G. hoch, Icel. h?r, Sw. h[ o]g, Dan. h[ o]i, Goth. hauhs, and to Icel. haugr mound, G. h[… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • high horse — noun Date: 1721 an arrogant and unyielding mood or attitude …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • high horse — a haughty attitude or temper; a contemptuous manner. [1375 1425; late ME] * * * …   Universalium

  • high horse — Synonyms and related words: Olympian detachment, Olympian loftiness, arrogance, arrogantness, assumption of superiority, condescendence, condescension, domineering, domineeringness, haughtiness, haughty airs, hauteur, hoity toitiness, hoity toity …   Moby Thesaurus

  • on one's high horse — {adj. phr.}, {informal} 1. Acting as if you are better than others; being very proud and scornful. * /Martha was chairman of the picnic committee, and at the picnic she was on her high horse, telling everyone what to do./ * /Mrs. Jones asked to… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • on one's high horse — {adj. phr.}, {informal} 1. Acting as if you are better than others; being very proud and scornful. * /Martha was chairman of the picnic committee, and at the picnic she was on her high horse, telling everyone what to do./ * /Mrs. Jones asked to… …   Dictionary of American idioms

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