to the horse

[Gregory {Greg} Downing]

At 11:04 PM 7/25/99 -0700, you wrote:
>In a discussion today, I said something about "going to the horse," meaning
>to the originator, the source.  I was asked where this came from and really
>couldn't think of an answer.  Is it the punchline from a joke? Is it not as
>common an expression as I thought?
>
>Rima
>

Just a stab --

It sounds like an expression that might be based on a passage in the theme
song from the 60s US sitcom, "Mr. Ed," about a talking horse. The theme song
was kind of deliberately nonsensical, as I recall, but your expression
sounds like it runs along these lines:

Go right to the source
And ask the horse
He'll give you an answer that you'll endorse


Greg Downing/NYU, at greg.downing at nyu.edu or gd2 at is2.nyu.edu