Idiom
horses for courses
Meaning
Different people are suited for different jobs or situations; what is fitting in one case may not be fitting in another.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“She is great at math, but he prefers art; it is horses for courses.”
“We chose the quiet candidate for the research role and the outgoing one for sales, because it is truly horses for courses.”
“While a small car is perfect for city driving, you need a powerful truck for mountain roads, as it is simply a matter of horses for courses.”
“Recognizing that different projects demand distinct skill sets, the manager assigned tasks based on the principle of horses for courses to ensure optimal results.”
Examples
simple
“She is great at math, but he prefers art; it is horses for courses.”
contextual
“We chose the quiet candidate for the research role and the outgoing one for sales, because it is truly horses for courses.”
“While a small car is perfect for city driving, you need a powerful truck for mountain roads, as it is simply a matter of horses for courses.”
complex
“Recognizing that different projects demand distinct skill sets, the manager assigned tasks based on the principle of horses for courses to ensure optimal results.”
Origin
The expression originates from the nineteenth-century British racing world, functioning as an allusion to the observation that a racehorse performs best on a racecourse to which it is specifically suited. The requirements of a particular track, such as the firmness of the turf or the direction of the turns, were understood to favour certain animals over others. It was a matter of professional competence to match the beast to the environment.
Key words
Related idioms
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