horse sense

noun
1.
common sense.
Origin
1825-35, Americanism
Examples from the web for horse sense
  • Responsible journalism seems to have gone the way of good common horse sense.
  • But until they do, a dab or two of horse sense could brighten the trip.
  • Combing through local events listings, my keen horse sense soon had me circling one.
  • We decided to do it because it made good horse sense.
  • Too much horse power and too little horse sense is a dangerous concoction.
British Dictionary definitions for horse sense

horse sense

noun
1.
another term for common sense
Word Origin and History for horse sense
n.

1832, American English colloquial, from horse (n.), perhaps in referfence to the animal's qualities, or the abilites of hostlers and coachmen with the animals, perhaps from the same association of "strong, large, coarse" found in horseradish.

Slang definitions & phrases for horse sense

horse sense

noun phrase

Good sense and shrewdness: horse sense needed before taking on something like that (1832+)


Idioms and Phrases with horse sense

horse sense

Sound practical sense, as in She's got too much horse sense to believe his story. The exact allusion in this term, which dates from the mid-1800s, is disputed, since some regard horses as rather stupid. However, they tended to be viewed more positively in the American West, where the term originated.