put the cart before the horse






put the cart before the horse

reverse the proper order or procedure of something.

A medieval version of this expression was set the oxen before the yoke. The version with horse and cart dates from the early 16th century.

1998 - Spectator - It's putting the cart before the horse. All history shows that if you want to create a political union, you do that first and the single currency follows.


Related Idioms :


in the cart

in trouble or difficulty – British informal

A cart was formerly used to take convicted criminals to the public gallows and to expose prostitutes and other offenders to public humiliation in the streets.




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