Would you like to let someone know that they are jumping to conclusions, or that they are acting much faster than they are supposed to? The phrase 'putting the cart before the horse' is a common saying that can be used to say what you mean. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this English-language phrase.
Meaning
The phrase 'putting the cart before the horse' is a figurative saying that implies someone is jumping to conclusions or acting faster than they should to a situation.
As the use of the phrase is figurative, someone is not physically putting a cart before any horse, but the phrase implies quicker action than necessary.
The phrase 'putting the cart before the horse' can also imply that someone is acting too quickly, or that someone is approching a solution to the situation in the wrong order.
A similar phrase to 'putting the cart before the horse' is that someone is 'getting ahead of themselves'. The meaning of this phrase also implies that someone is acting too fast.
The phrase is almost never shortened, and the entire saying 'putting the cart before the horse' is most often used as a whole.
Someone can also phrase the saying as 'to put the cart before the horse' or 'put the cart before the horse' and it depends on the tense and context.
The phrase can also be used as 'putting the cart before the horses' and its meaning will remain the same.
Example Usage
“He was only in the biker club for a week, and by then he had already bought three new bikes and twelve new jackets. He was really putting the cart before the horse.”
“Don't put the cart before the horse if you're going to stay married for a long time. What I'm saying is, you don't want to take the leap into married life too soon if you're not ready for it.”
“I think if he's going to Vegas with all of his money it's just called putting the cart before the horse. He's going to come back in less than a week and I guarantee that he's going to be broke.”
“If he's putting all his money on one horse, that's what you call putting the cart before the horse. He's getting ahead of himself without any experience, and he's going to lose all of his money doing it.”
Origin
According to most online language resources, the phrase 'putting the cart before the horse' first appeared as a figurative phrase somewhere in the 1700s.
After its use as a phrase became more common and popular, the phrase 'putting the cart before the horse' was later listed in the works of Shakespeare.
After its mention in Shakespeare, the term was widely translated into other languages and fell into common use.
The phrase stuck as an expression that is used in popular culture, and the term 'putting the cart before the horse' is still used as an equivalent to saying that someone 'has jumped the gun' or acted too soon.
Phrases Similar to Putting the Cart Before the Horse
- Jumping the gun
- Jumping to conclusions
Phrases Opposite to Putting the Cart Before the Horse
- N/a
What is the Correct Saying?
- Putting the cart before the horse
- To put the cart before the horse
Ways People May Say Putting the Cart Before the Horse Incorrectly
The phrase 'putting the cart before the horse' can be used in the wrong way by someone who does not understand the meaning of the phrase.
The term does not translate well to all other languages, and direct use of the phrase can cause confusion in languages where the phrase has no equivalent.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Putting the Cart Before the Horse
The correct way to use the phrase 'putting the cart before the horse' is to use the phrase to mean that someone is getting ahead of themselves, or approaching a solution in the wrong order.