Explaining "Putting the cart before the horse"

What does it mean?

The phrase "putting the cart before the horse" refers to doing things in the wrong order or reversing the logical sequence of events. It highlights the folly of prioritizing a subsequent step before completing a necessary prior one.

Tone

Origin

The phrase is believed to date back as early as the 16th century, originating from an analogy where a cart, meant to be pulled by a horse, is placed ahead of it, making the setup ineffective.