cart before the horse, put the

put the cart before the horse

To do things out of the proper order. Starting the fundraiser before we know how much we need is putting the cart before the horse.

See also: before, cart, horse, put

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

cart before the horse, put the

Reverse the proper order of things or events, as in Don't put the cart before the horse and give away the punch line. This expression has been used since antiquity but was first recorded in English in 1520.

See also: before, cart, put

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.