English Explanatory Dictionary

shanks' mare

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. One's own feet used for walking.

Word forms

shanks' mare shanks' mares shanks's mare shank's mare shanks mare

Etymology

Believed to be Scottish in origin and derives from shanks' nag (shanks-naig 1774), referring to the use of shank to refer to the part of the human leg between the knee and ankle. One theory cites "shank's mare" derived from a horse-drawn lawn mower, manufactured by Shanks & Company Ltd. (founded 1853) which required that the human operator walk behind the device to guide the horse; however, references to the phrase in Scottish literature pre-date the existence of the Shanks lawn mower.

Related words

shanks' nag shanks-nag shanks' pony
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