Greeks bearing gifts, beware of/like
beware of Greeks bearing gifts
proverb Be skeptical of a present or kindness from an enemy. The phrase refers to the Trojan horse, a gift to the Trojans from which Greek soldiers emerged and conquered Troy. A: "I can't believe the opposing team made us cupcakes before the big game!" B: "Yeah, I'd beware of Greeks bearing gifts if I were you."
See also: bearing, beware, gift, Greek, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
Prov. Do not trust an opponent who offers to do something nice for you. (A line from the story of the Trojan horse, as told in Vergil's Aeneid.) Jill: I can't believe Melanie brought me cookies today, when we've been fighting for weeks. Jane: Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. She probably has ulterior motives. When the rival company invited all his employees to a Christmas party, Tom's first impulse was to beware of Greeks bearing gifts, but then he upbraided himself for being paranoid.
See also: bearing, beware, gift, Greek, of
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
Greeks bearing gifts, beware of/like
Do not trust enemies who pretend to be friends. The term refers to the treachery of the Greeks during the Trojan Wars, when they entered the city of Troy bearing the “gift” of a large wooden horse that was actually filled with soldiers who then burned down the city.
See also: bearing, beware, Greek, like, of
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- a woman's work is never done
- teach a man to fish
- it takes a village
- village
- for want of a nail
- For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse ...
- casu consulto
- the best-laid plans
- the best-laid plans go astray
- best-laid plans go astray, the