see a man about a horse

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English

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Etymology

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A variant of see a man about a dog, from the implied context of seeing someone about a bet on a horse race.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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see a man about a horse (third-person singular simple present sees a man about a horse, present participle seeing a man about a horse, simple past saw a man about a horse, past participle seen a man about a horse)

  1. (idiomatic, euphemistic) Used in place of a real explanation when excusing oneself for a short period of time, particularly to use a toilet.
    I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail. I've just got to visit the ladies' room to see a man about a horse.

Synonyms

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References

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  • (Etymology)[1].
  • Ayto, John. Oxford Slang. 1998.
  • Farmer, J.S. and W.E. Henley. Slang and its Analogues. 1986.
  • Chapman, Robert L. Dictionary of American Slang. 1995.
  • Matthews, Mitford M. A Dictionary of Americanisms. 1951.
  • Spears, Richard A. Slang and Euphemism. 1981.
  • Spears, Richard A. The Slang and Jargon of Drugs and Drink. 1986.