Hold your horses

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" Hold your horse ", sometimes referred to as " Hold the horses ", is a common idiom which means "stay in" or wait. This phrase is historically associated with horseback riding or traveling by horse, or driving a horse-drawn vehicle. A number of explanations, all unverified, have been offered for the origin of the phrase, dating back to usage in Ancient Greece.

The saying is usually used when someone rushes into something. This is often combined with related idioms such as cooling your jet . But it also has a more literal meaning and in certain circumstances is the preferred idiom to use. "Hold your horse" literally means keeping your horse (or horse) fixed, do not be confused by holding it in a cage, regardless of what might be said by popular internet memes. Someone slows down too soon, or waits for a moment, or more cautious, or be patient before acting.

Usually followed up with explanations to demonstrate why you should wait. For example, "Hold your horse, we have not won yet, so do not start celebrating." and "Hold your horse, you have not thought about this" or "Hold your horse, you might find better at the same price in another store" or "Hold your horse.

Video Hold your horses

Origins

There are several sources documenting the use of "hold your horse" on

• Literal meaning
  • In Book 23 of Iliad , Homer writes, "Hold your horse!" when referring to Antilochus who was driving like a maniac in a horse-drawn carriage that Achilles did in a funeral game for Patroclus.
  • During the commotion of the battle, a Roman soldier will hold his horses
  • After the invention of gunpowder, the Chinese had to hold their horses because of the noise
• idiomatic Meaning:
  • The origin of the United States of the nineteenth century, where it was written as "hold your hosses" ("hoss" being a US slang term for horses) and appeared in such prints many times since 1843 onwards. This is also the first proved use in the idiomatic sense. For example: from Picayune (New Orleans) in September 1844, "Oh, hold your trousers, Squire. There's no point rumbling, no how."
  • In Chatelaine, 1939, the modern spelling appears: "Hold your horse, dear."
  • This term may come from an artillery unit of the army. Example: Hunt and Pringle's (1943) quotes "Hold your horse, hold work until further orders"

Maps Hold your horses

References

Source of the article : Wikipedia