“Do not put the cart before the horse”: meaning, origin and examples
What it means
The phrase means to do things in the correct order or sequence, and not to jump ahead to a later step before finishing an earlier, more fundamental one.
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Where it comes from
The expression is a proverb that dates back to at least the 16th century. It refers to the impractical idea of placing a cart before a horse rather than behind it, thereby preventing it from moving properly.
Examples
- Before you start decorating the house, make sure you’ve bought it first. Do not put the cart before the horse.
- You need to write the paper before you can submit it; don’t put the cart before the horse.
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