hold your horses
hold your horses
Meaning
- to wait
- to be patient
- to hold on
- used for telling someone who is getting ahead of themselves to stop and consider their action or decision
Example Sentences
- Hold your horses! We have not won yet, so don’t start celebrating.
- Hold your horses, will you! Let’s have a discussion on this first before we jump to conclusions.
- We haven’t quite finished yet. Hold your horses till we complete this last bit.
- Hold your horses! I never said I would be part of your plan.
- Just hold your horses till we have an official communication, then you can let the news out.
- We are getting late to go to the ceremony and mom is still yelling, “Hold your horses!“.
- Please hold your horses. Three people are already in the queue before you.
Origin
This phrase originated in the USA during the 1800s. It was originally written as “hold your hosses” in keeping with the American slang term “hoss” for a horse. The current form came in 1939.
Share your opinions3 Opinions
I stumbled upon this when I was looking for an english idiom that has a similar meaning to a german idiom being “Immer langsam mit den jungen Pferden” [= “always slowly/careful with the young horses”] and it has a very similar meaning to this one, interesting how different idioms of different languages use a similar picture to convey a message.
‒ Lotte May 14, 2021
My reading it is comes from when people used horses like we now use cars; so it meant please put on the brakes and hold your horses!
‒ A reader September 14, 2019
You’re excellent, great job!
For God’s sake, hold your horses! Don’t jump to conclusions like that. How can you condemn him like that without any solid proof.
‒ Antonio M. Araujo September 20, 2016