When Did Hold Your Horses Originate?

A 19th-century United States origin, where it was written as ‘hold your hosses’ (“hoss” being a US slang term for horse) and appears in print that way many times from 1843 onwards. It is also the first attested usage in the idiomatic meaning.

Where did saying 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 actual meaning of hold your horses?

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.

Is hold your horses a southern thing?

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.

What to say instead of hold your horses?

Synonyms:I’m sorry, wait a minute​/​second, hang on, just a minute​/​moment​/​second, I hate to bother​/​interrupt​/​trouble etc.

What do cowboys say to stop a horse?

It’s whoa. This interjection means “stop.” You might use it as a command to stop a galloping horse.

Where did keep you on your toes come from?

This expression comes from the fact that when you actually lift your heels and shift your weight to the balls of your feet and your toes, you are ready to jump into action! Now, the phrase keeping on your toes is different from tiptoeing around. Your feet are in a similar position.

Where does the expression kick the bucket come from?

The wooden frame used to hang animals by their feet for slaughter was called a bucket. As the animals struggled and spasmed, they were said to “kick the bucket.” The term gained broader definition when it was defined in Grose’s 1785 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue: “To kick the bucket, to die.”

What does hold the mayonnaise mean?

Definition of hold the mayo
: to not include mayonnaise She ordered a turkey sandwich and told the waiter to hold the mayo.

What did cowboys call guns?

Plow Handle – A single action pistol was sometime referred to as a plow handle. These were also referred to as “thumbusters,” “cutters,” “smoke poles,” and “hawg legs.”

What does a cowboy call a friend?

Wheel-Horse – An intimate friend, one’s right hand man.

What alcohol do cowboys drink?

Cowboys never had a reputation for being very sophisticated connoisseurs. The whiskey they drank was simply fuel for the saloons’ many other pastimes, whatever those happened to be. Quality and flavor among whiskies in the late 1800s varied widely.

Why is it called Dressed to the nines?

“To the nines” is an idiom meaning “to perfection” or “to the highest degree”. In modern English usage, the phrase most commonly appears as “dressed to the nines” or “dressed up to the nines”.

Why do we say 40 winks?

As a blink lasts for a fraction of a second, forty winks take a few seconds. Hence the phrase ”forty winks” has come to mean a few moments of sleep, or a very short nap, especially taken during the daytime, while not in a sleeping position.

Where does bite the dust come from?

Strangely enough, “bite the dust” has been around since the King James Bible was published in 1611. According to the Bible, “They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him; and His enemies shall lick the dust” (Psalms 72.9).

How would a cowboy say thank you?

Howdy!! is the cowboy way of saying Thank You and Hello!!

What do you call a white cowboy?

Originally, White cowboys were called cowhands, and African Americans were pejoratively referred to as “cowboys.” African American men being called “boy” regardless of their age stems from slavery and the plantation era in the South.

What did Mexicans call cowboys?

Vaquero
“Vaquero” is the name for a Mexican cowboy and the likely term that evolved into the Anglo word for cowboy, “buckaroo.”

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.

What is the meaning of the idiom hold your horses as it is used in the excerpt?

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.

Where did the idiom come from?

Idioms are usually derived from local culture and customs in each individual language.