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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Dark Horse #178590 08/09/08 07:50 AM Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 1 C Cath Collins OP stranger OP Cath Collins stranger C Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 1 I was alway taught that it did refer to an outsider coming first - but more specifically to the practice of applying dye to the lighter hair on a horse in order to disguise its distinguishing features -which would have immediately identified it as a potential winner. As the dye wore off during or after the race, the true identity of a winner was revealed. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Dark Horse Cath Collins #178595 08/09/08 11:26 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 I would suspect that this is a phrase using 'dark' in the older sense of 'unknown', cf. Africa, the dark continent or the dark side of the moon. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,915 Posts230,124 Members9,198 Most Online4,270 Aug 30th, 2025 Newest Members testawad, Bill_L, achz, MAGNVSTALSMA, Burlyfish 9,198 Registered Users Who's Online Now 0 members (), 2,470 guests, and 3 robots. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 24 A C Bowden 16 LukeJavan8 2 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,029 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,968 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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