a horse of another colour
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A different affair altogether. A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a horse of another colour” mean?
A different affair altogether. A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.
Is “a horse of another colour” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.