What Does The Idiom Hold Your Horses?

Published by Henry Stone on

In short, “hold your horses” means to slow down, wait, or be patient. If someone tells you to hold your horses, they’re asking you to stop and think about what you’re doing. This idiom originates from horseback riding and horse-drawn carriages.

What does it mean hold your horses idiom?

idiom old-fashioned informal. used to tell someone to stop and consider carefully their decision or opinion about something: Just hold your horses, Bill! Let’s think about this for a moment. Linguistics: expressions telling people to stop doing something.

What is another idiom for hold your horses?

‘ Hold your horses: 1) slow down; 2) wait a moment; 3) be patient.

What is hold your horses an example of?

The meaning of ‘Hold Your Horses’ is to be patient, wait. It can be used when someone is asking you, or putting pressure on you, to do something. Example of use: “Hold your horses sir, can’t you see that we haven’t finished here?!?!”

Is hold your horses a southern saying?

If you grew up in the South, you know hearing the phrase “hold your horses” means hang on a minute or wait, but knowing where the expression comes from isn’t quite as common knowledge. The literal meaning of the phrase is an easy one to grasp.

Is saying hold your horses rude?

Today, if someone acts better than everyone else, you might tell him to “get off your high horse.” And if someone is pushing you to do something, you can say, “Hold your horses!” This is a very informal way to tell someone to calm down and wait. You would not use it with your boss but you could use it with children.

How do you respond to hold your horses?

The crossword clue “Hold your horses!” with 9 letters was last seen on the November 21, 2022. We think the likely answer to this clue is INAMOMENT.

What are the 20 examples of idioms?

Here are 20 English idioms that everyone should know:

  • Under the weather. What does it mean?
  • The ball is in your court. What does it mean?
  • Spill the beans. What does it mean?
  • Break a leg. What does it mean?
  • Pull someone’s leg. What does it mean?
  • Sat on the fence. What does it mean?
  • Through thick and thin.
  • Once in a blue moon.

What are idiom examples?

Idiom examples
Here are some common idioms in the English language, along with their meaning. Under the weather Meaning: Not feeling well. Break a leg Meaning: To wish someone good luck. Once in a blue moon Meaning: Rarely. The ball is in your court Meaning: A decision is up to you.

When did the phrase hold your horses come from?

Origins. In Book 23 of the Iliad, Homer writes “Hold your horses!” when referring to Antilochus driving like a maniac in a chariot race that Achilles initiates in the funeral games for Patroclus. During the noise of battle, a Roman soldier would hold his horses.

Where does the term Hold your horses come from?

The term “hold your horses” means be patient or slow down. “Hold your horses” originates from a time before cars, when horse transportation was common. The term was used literally to tell someone to stop their horses or prevent them from moving off. Nowadays, it is used figuratively to mean be patient or slow down.

What is the most Southern thing to say?

We chose 15 of the most ridiculous Southern sayings — and tried to explain them.

  1. “We’re living in high cotton.”
  2. “She was madder than a wet hen.”
  3. “He could eat corn through a picket fence.”
  4. “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”
  5. “You look rode hard and put up wet.”
  6. “He’s as drunk as Cooter Brown.”

What does the idiom to hold your tongue?

If you hold your tongue, you do not say anything even though you might want to or be expected to, because it is the wrong time to say it. Douglas held his tongue, preferring not to speak out on a politically sensitive issue.

What does cat has your tongue mean?

unusually quiet
informal. used to ask someone why he or she is not saying anything. “You’ve been unusually quiet tonight,” she said. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

What does the idiom to hold your tongue mean?

idiom. to stop yourself from speaking: I wanted to scream, “You’re an idiot!” but I held my tongue.

What does calm your horses mean?

said to tell someone to wait, slow down, or stop for a moment, often when you think that they are going to do something silly.

What is the meaning of beating a dead horse?

to waste time and effort
chiefly US, informal. : to keep talking about a subject that has already been discussed or decided. I don’t mean to beat a dead horse, but I still don’t understand what happened. : to waste time and effort trying to do something that is impossible.

What do you say to a horse when you want it to stop?

“Give and take” as the horse takes strides, squeezing back and easing up until the horse halts. You can also ask your horse with your voice to “whoa”. Keep in mind, if you’re heading for the show ring, you won’t be able to use voice cues when you are riding in a horse show. Your cues for the halt should be smooth.

What are the 100 idioms?

100 Common English Idioms

  • Break the ice. Meaning: To get the conversation going.
  • A dime a dozen. Meaning: Very common: quite ordinary.
  • Beat around the bush. Meaning: To avoid saying something.
  • Back against the wall.
  • Bite the bullet.
  • Wrap one’s head around something.
  • Under the weather.
  • Better late than never.

What is the best idiom in the world?

Top 10 idioms of the world

  1. “Into the mouth of a wolf” Language: Italian.
  2. “Not my circus, not my monkey. Language: Polish.
  3. “To have a wide face” Language: Japanese.
  4. “To have the midday demon” Language: French.
  5. “To feed the donkey sponge cake” Language: Portuguese.
  6. “A cat’s jump”
  7. “To give someone pumpkins”
  8. “To ride as a hare”

What does the saying When Pigs Fly mean?

that something will never happen
US, informal. used to say that one thinks that something will never happen. The train station will be renovated when pigs fly.

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