if wishes were horses
proverb Wishing for something won't make it happen. You have to work for the things you want, not merely wish for them to come true. A shortening of the proverb "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." A: "I just wish I earned a little bit more money than I do now." B: "Well, if wishes were horses." The president said he wishes the country would be more united on this issue, but if wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. A: "If only my parents would give me a car, life would be so much easier." B: "Yeah, well, if wishes were horses, right?"
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
if wishes were horses
If one could readily have what one wanted, life would be easy. For example, Wendy would love a brand-new car for her sixteenth birthday but-if wishes were horses. This expression is a shortening of If wishes were horses, beggars would ride, first recorded about 1628 in a collection of Scottish proverbs.
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.