Put the cart before the horse

Meaning

The idiom "put the cart before the horse" means to do something in the wrong order or to make a mistake by jumping ahead of what should be done first. It is often used to caution someone against making hasty decisions or taking actions without considering all the necessary information.

Usage

• Don't put the cart before the horse and decide on a new career path before doing your research.
• If you want to sell your product, you need to put the cart before the horse and build a customer base first.
• It's important to put the cart before the horse and have a plan in place before making any big moves.
• Don't put the cart before the horse and rush into things without thinking it through.
• If you want to succeed in your business, you need to put the cart before the horse and focus on building relationships first.

Roots and History

The origin of this idiom is uncertain, but there are several theories about its meaning. One theory suggests that it comes from the practice of transporting goods in a cart or wagon. In order to move the goods, someone would have to hitch the horse to the cart before moving forward. If they did this backwards, they would end up with the cart ahead of the horse. Another theory suggests that the idiom comes from medieval times when knights would ride on horseback. In order to engage in combat, the knight would first draw their sword and then mount their horse. This meant that the sword came before the horse, or putting the cart before the horse. Over time, the meaning of the idiom has remained relatively consistent, but it has been used in different contexts to caution against making hasty decisions or taking actions out of order.

Synonyms in English

• Rush headlong into something
• Leap ahead without thinking
• Take a shortcut that leads nowhere
• Act impulsively without considering the consequences
• Move too quickly without sufficient planning

Synonyms in other languages

• French: "Courir avant l'eau" (run before the water)
• German: "Übermut verraten" (overconfidence betrayal)
• Italian: "Fare troppo presto" (do too much too quickly)
• Spanish: "Hacerlo en falta de tiempo" (to do it in a hurry)
• Portuguese: "Pensar que é fácil" (to think that it's easy)

Similar Idioms

• let sleeping dogs lie

• call of duty

• bull’s eye