Where Did the Expression “A Horse of a Different Colour” Originate and What Does the Phrase Mean?

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Karen Hill

“A horse of a different color” is a separate issue from the business at hand and comes from horse trading.

When horses are born, their official registration includes a record of their color.

To make sure they were buying the horse pedigree as advertised, traders learned to check this registration.

This ensured that the colt’s color was the same as the one for sale, otherwise they were being cheated with a “horse of a different color.”

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