Meaning
Do things in an illogical or ineffective order, especially by dealing with a result before the preparation or cause on which it depends.
Origin
The image reverses the normal working arrangement in which a horse pulls a cart. The exact English wording is documented from the early 16th century, while a related English image, putting the plough before the oxen, is recorded from the mid-14th century. It is an old proverb about reversed order, not a saying traced to a particular accident or inventor.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- Don't put the cart before the horse
- Set the cart before the horse
Usage Examples
- Choosing the launch date before the safety review is putting the cart before the horse.
- We would put the cart before the horse if we hired staff before confirming the budget.
- Decide what evidence is needed before buying software to collect it, or you will put the cart before the horse.