cart (redirected from cartable)

cart someone or something off

to take or haul someone or something away. (When used with someone the person is treated like an object.) The police came and carted her off. Let's cart off these boxes.

Don't put the cart before the horse.

Prov. Do not do things in the wrong order. (This can imply that the person you are addressing is impatient.) Tune the guitar first, then play it. Don't put the cart before the horse.

See also: before, horse, put

put the cart before the horse

Fig. to have things in the wrong order; to have things confused and mixed up. (Also with have.) You're eating your dessert first! You've put the cart before the horse. John has the cart before the horse in most of his projects.

See also: before, horse, put

upset the apple cart

Fig. to mess up or ruin something. Tom really upset the apple cart by telling Mary the truth about Jane. I always knew he'd tell secrets and upset the apple cart.

See also: apple, upset

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put the cart before the horse

to do things in the wrong order Deciding what to wear before you've even been invited to the party is rather putting the cart before the horse, isn't it?

See also: before, horse, put

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(put) the cart before the horse

to do something that should happen later before other things Barnhart is putting the cart before the horse by building a stadium before a team has agreed to play there.

See also: before, horse

cart somebody/something away also cart away somebody/something

to take someone or something somewhere We cleaned out the garage and carted tons of stuff away. Investigators were carting away boxes of material from her office.

See also: away

cart somebody off also cart off somebody

to take someone or something somewhere Rioters smashed windows and carted off televisions, shoes, car tires, and anything else they could carry. He was carted off to jail.