horse sense

American  

noun

1. common sense.

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horse sense British  

noun

1. another term for common sense

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horse sense Idioms  

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of horse sense

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

horse sense

One might say they figured it just made good horse sense.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2020

More likely, it was something in American Pharoah’s horse sense that told him the man in the suit was a weak specimen.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 16, 2019

“Some of them, my horse sense says that they’re kind of enjoying giving me a certain shock, and there’s a certain theatrical aspect … but I can’t know.”

From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2018

“One of the all-time great horses in this era,” said Sherman, whose horse sense comes hard-earned.

From New York Times ● Nov. 3, 2016

She didn’t know what Dodger and his horse sense knew.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz