It originates from the command to bring a horse to a stop, or keep a horse still, which was a common need when traveling by horse was prevalent, according to the Grammarist. It might rain.”, “Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call.”. Anyway, the following quote is from the newspaper Warren Democratic Advocate, 1842: “‘Hold your horses,’ says he, ‘and if you want to hear the greatest shaving story that you ever did hear, just keep cool.’ “. It originates from the command to bring a horse to a stop, or keep a horse still, which was a common need when traveling by horse was prevalent, according to the Grammarist. US origin - 19th century. Were the horses swimming during all this? Let us try and understand this idiom in more detail, and find out how it came to be in use. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The origin of this idiom dates back to the 19th century in the United States, and is linked to horse riding or a person driving a horse-drawn wagon. The literal meaning of the phrase is an easy one to grasp. A Kentucky dog that has been lost for three years was recently reunited with its owner after being found in the most unlikeliest of places -- Michigan. The English language is one such medium that consists of thousands of idioms, out of which some are easy to understand, while others are not so obvious. What’s the origin of the idiom ‘hold your horses’? The horse is in a hurry to move when it gets excited or nervous, often getting out of control. The origin of this idiom dates back to the 19th century in the United States, and is linked to horse riding or a person driving a horse-drawn wagon. Another version also states that, in Rome, a man would ‘hold his horses’ during a noisy battle. In keeping with its American origin, it originally was written as ' hold your hosses ' and it appears in print that way many times from 1844 onwards. They are just little dramatic additions to convey your message to someone. Perhaps people looking for a ride on a horse or horse-drawn vehicle would tell the rider to literally hold their horses. You may be asked to ‘hold your horses’ when you are tempted to respond in anger to some situation, when you are about to purchase a thing that may hamper your budget, or when thinking of taking up a job without knowing the responsibilities or without doing any in-depth research on it. When is a toboggan a sled and when is it a hat? Ana wanted to buy some clothes she liked right away, but her mother said: “. Cargo ready for transportation were loaded onto barges and then, using a towline, teams of horses would pull these barges through the canal. Let’s go! According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words, but has a separate meaning of its own. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Its origin also traces back to 1844 in New Orleans, as ‘hold your hosses’, which appeared in print publications. 6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603. ‘Hoss’ was a slang used for ‘horse’ during this time.“Oh, hold your hosses Squire. Don't mess them up, Orange glitter syrup exists so your Halloween breakfast can come with a side of spooky fun, This kudzu jelly recipe is the Southern treat you must try, You don't have to go to Texas Roadhouse to score cinnamon sugar butter spread now, Southern traditions designed to repel haints and spirits. Get the latest from It's a Southern Thing by subscribing to, Missing dog from Kentucky found hundreds of miles away in Michigan after 3 years, How 'hold your horses' became a phrase loved by Southern mothers, Idiom: Hold your horses (meaning & examples) ›, HOLD YOUR HORSES | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary ›, Hold my horses - Idioms by The Free Dictionary ›, It's a Southern Thing has a new membership program and we hope you'll join us. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. 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. It is typically used when someone is in a great hurry to respond to something. Now you know that the main idea behind telling people or they telling you to hold your horses is to take one step back and consider all the factors before taking a decision or acting upon a situation. The term may also have originated from the army units. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The phrase of this week is “a bull in a china shop.” Learn what it means, discover its origin, plus see a few sentence examples of this common saying. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This phrase’s origin might actually be from the Erie Canal located in New York.