dark horse

See also: darkhorse

English

WOTD – 14 June 2016

Etymology

Originally an allusion to an unknown horse with a dark coat winning a race, as used in the 1831 novel The Young Duke by Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881): “ […] and a dark horse, which had never been thought of, […] rushed past the grand stand in sweeping triumph.”

Noun

dark horse (plural dark horses)

1. (idiomatic) Someone who possesses talents or favorable characteristics that are not known or expected by others.
   • 2005, Steve Augarde, Celandine, London: Corgi Books, published 2006, →ISBN, page 13:

     As she pulled the door closed behind her, she heard the nurse say, “Well! You’re a dark horse, I must say! Do you know that extraordinary-looking girl?”

   • 2009, Sophie Kinsella, Twenties Girl: A Novel, London: Black Swan, published 2010, →ISBN, page 183:

     “Well!” Genevieve laughs – the kind of bright, trilling laugh you give when you’re really quite annoyed about something. “Ed, you are a dark horse! I had no idea you had a girlfriend!”

2. (idiomatic, politics) A candidate for an election who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice.
3. (horse racing) A horse whose capabilities are not known.
4. Used other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see dark,‎ horse.

Derived terms

• darkhorse

Translations

possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 黑馬 (zh), 黑马 (zh) (hēimǎ)

• Czech: černý kůň m
• Finnish: musta hevonen (fi)
• French: please add this translation if you can

• Greek: σιγανό ποτάμι n (siganó potámi)
• Icelandic: (to be a dark horse) leyna á sér
• Italian: acqua cheta f
• Polish: cicha woda (pl) f
• Russian: тёмная лоша́дка (ru) f (tjómnaja lošádka)

unexpectedly nominated candidate

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 黑馬 (zh), 黑马 (zh) (hēimǎ)

• Estonian: üllatuskandidaat
• Finnish: musta hevonen (fi)
• French: please add this translation if you can

• Italian: outsider (it) m, f
• Japanese: 穴馬 (あなうま, anauma), (obsolete) 惑星 (ja) (わくせい, wakusei)
• Polish: czarny koń (pl) m
• Russian: тёмная лоша́дка (ru) f (tjómnaja lošádka)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Hindi: ^{(please verify)} काला चोर m (kālā cor)
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} ダークホース (dāku hōsu)
• Kannada: ^{(please verify)} ಕಪ್ಪುಕುದುರೆ (kn) (kappukudure)

• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 다크호스 (ko) (dakeuhoseu)
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} dark horse (sv) c

See also

• black sheep
• underdog

Further reading

• dark horse on Wikipedia.Wikipedia