| 单词 | to set or put the cart before the horse |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto set or put the cart before the horse 5. Proverbs and Phrases. to set or put the cart before the horse: to reverse the natural or proper order. †to be left out of the cart's arse: (see quot.). †to keep cart on wheels: ? ‘to keep straight’, or ‘to keep things going’. Also in the cart: in an awkward, false, or losing position; in serious difficulties (cf. sense 2c) (slang). ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > order > order, sequence, or succession > come in due order or course [verb (intransitive)] > reverse natural order to set or put the cart before the horse1520 to put the plough before the oxen1571 hystero-proterizea1834 the world > action or operation > difficulty > [phrase] > in a difficult position > in straits waterOE straitly steadc1400 need-stead?c1450 at the worst hand1490 in suds1575 lock1598 at a bad hand1640 in a wood1659 in bad bread1743 up a stump1829 in a tight (also awkward, bad, etc.) spot1851 up shit creek1868 in the cart1889 in the soup1889 out on a limb1897 in a spot1929 up the creek1941 consommé1957 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 243 Moche uolk of religion zetteþ þe zuolȝ be-uore þe oksen.] 1520 R. Whittington Uulgaria sig. A.iijv That techer setteth the cart before the horse that preferreth imitacyon before preceptes. 1541 T. Wyatt Defence in K. Muir Life & Lett. (1963) 198 It is a commen proverbe, ‘I am lefte owte of the cartes ars’, and yt is taken vpon packinge gere togyther for carriage That that is evell taken heede to, or negligently, slyppes owte of the carte and is loste. 1587 J. Higgins Mirour for Magistrates (new ed.) Cordila v. 5 Lest I set the horse behinde the cart. 1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear iv. 218 May not an Asse know when the cart drawes the horse? View more context for this quotation 1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues at Oye The cart leads the horse; the young instruct the old. 1662 H. Newcome Diary (1849) 56 I must walke closer with God or I cannot keep cart on wheeles. 1705 E. Ward Hudibras Redivivus I. ii. 26 Excuse me, that the Muses force The Cart to stand before the Horse. 1863 C. Kingsley Water-babies iv. 176 They..having, as usual, set the cart before the horse, and taken the effect for the cause. 1889 Evening Standard 25 June 1/3 In two races..Sir George Chetwynd—to use a vulgarism—had been ‘put in the cart’ by his jockey. 1908 Punch 12 Feb. 110 We were simply all over 'em, and had 'em in the cart in no time. 1908 Punch 4 Nov. 334 Something..tells me I am fairly in the cart. 1914 W. S. Maugham Smith 13 Emily was left in the cart? 1924 J. B. Hobbs My Cricket Mem. 158 We made 238, which was enough practically to put South Africa hopelessly in the cart. 1945 R. Hargreaves Enemy at Gate 152 There is a glib saying..that ‘trade follows the flag’; an apophthegm that succeeds in putting the cart before the horse with greater aplomb than almost any other cant phrase in common use. 1966 G. W. Turner Eng. Lang. in Austral. & N.Z. vi. 137 Sargeson's French translator..had some slang shared with English to translate, and job (boulot), tight (noir), spree (nouba), in the cart (dans le pétrin)..are neatly managed. < as lemmas |
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