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." Any time a stranger is too friendly, I can't help but think, beware of Greeks bearing gifts. You just never know if they have an ulterior motive or not! A: "I asked Alyssa to tell the teacher I was going to be late to class, but she didn't, and now I have a demerit!" B: "Isn't Alyssa your main competition for valedictorian? Come on, beware of Greeks bearing gifts."

See also: bearing, beware, gift, Greek, of

like Greeks bearing gifts

Said of someone to be wary of, as an enemy offering gifts or kindness with possibly treacherous ulterior motives. The phrase refers to the Trojan horse, a gift to the Trojans from which Greek soldiers emerged and conquered Troy. The consulate received us very coldly, treating us like Greeks bearing gifts. A: "I can't believe the opposing team made us cupcakes before the big game!" B: "Yeah, like Greeks bearing gifts."

See also: bearing, gift, Greek, like

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

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. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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 Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer