dark horse

See also: darkhorse

English

WOTD – 14 June 2016

Etymology

Originally an allusion to an unknown horse with a dark coat winning a race, as used in the 1831 novel The Young Duke by Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881).

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Noun

dark horse (plural dark horses)

1. (idiomatic) Someone who possesses talents or favorable characteristics that are not known or expected by others.
   • 1952, Daphne Du Maurier, “Monte Verità”, in The Apple Tree:

     ‘She’s a dark horse,’ he said. ‘She knows just as much about climbing mountains as you or I. In fact, she was ahead of me the whole time, and I lost her.’

   • 2005, Steve Augarde, Celandine, London: Corgi Books, published 2006, →ISBN, page 13:

     As she pulled the door closed behind her, she heard the nurse say, “Well! You’re a dark horse, I must say! Do you know that extraordinary-looking girl?”

   • 2009, Sophie Kinsella, Twenties Girl: A Novel, London: Black Swan, published 2010, →ISBN, page 183:

     “Well!” Genevieve laughs – the kind of bright, trilling laugh you give when you’re really quite annoyed about something. “Ed, you are a dark horse! I had no idea you had a girlfriend!”

2. (idiomatic, politics) A candidate for an election who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice.
3. (horse racing) A horse whose capabilities are not known.
4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see dark,‎ horse.

Derived terms

• darkhorse

Translations

possessor of unexpected talents or favorable characteristics

• Belarusian: цёмны конік (cjómny kónik)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 黑馬／黑马 (zh) (hēimǎ)

• Czech: černý kůň m
• Finnish: musta hevonen (fi)
• Greek: σιγανό ποτάμι n (siganó potámi)
• Hindi: छिपा रुस्तम m (chipā rustam), काला चोर m (kālā cor)
• Hungarian: sötét ló
• Icelandic: (to be a dark horse) leyna á sér
• Italian: acqua cheta f
• Polish: cicha woda (pl) f, czarny koń (pl) m
• Russian: тёмная лоша́дка f (tjómnaja lošádka)
• Slovak: čierny kôň
• Sorbian:

  Upper Sorbian: čorny kóń

• Thai: ม้ามืด (máa-mʉ̂ʉt)
• Ukrainian: темна конячка (temna konjačka)

unexpectedly nominated candidate

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 黑馬／黑马 (zh) (hēimǎ)

• Estonian: üllatuskandidaat
• Finnish: musta hevonen (fi)
• French: outsider (fr) m
• Italian: outsider (it) m or f
• Japanese: 穴馬 (あなうま, anauma), (obsolete) 惑星 (ja) (わくせい, wakusei)
• Polish: czarny koń (pl) m
• Russian: тёмная лоша́дка f (tjómnaja lošádka)
• Thai: ม้ามืด (máa-mʉ̂ʉt)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Hindi: ^{(please verify)} काला चोर m (kālā cor)
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} ダークホース (dāku hōsu)
• Kannada: ^{(please verify)} ಕಪ್ಪುಕುದುರೆ (kn) (kappukudure)
• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 다크호스 (ko) (dakeuhoseu)
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} dark horse (sv) c

See also

• underdog
• black sheep
• black horse

Further reading

• dark horse on Wikipedia.Wikipedia