"Hold your horses", sometimes said as "Hold the horses", is an English-language idiom meaning " wait, slow down". The phrase is historically related to horse riding or travelling by horse, or driving a

horse-drawn vehicle A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have m ...

. A number of explanations, all unverified, have been offered for the origins of the phrase, dating back to usage in

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

. The saying is typically used when someone is rushing into something. "Cool your jets" is an essentially identical idiom. However it also has a more literal meaning and in certain circumstances is the preferred idiom to use. "Hold your horses" literally means to keep your horse(s) still, not to be confused with holding them in a stable. Someone is to slow down when going too fast, or to wait a moment, or to be more careful, or to be patient before acting. It is usually followed up with an explanation to demonstrate why you should wait. For example, "Hold your horses, we have not won yet, so don't start celebrating." and "Hold your horses, you haven't thought about this yet" or "Hold your horses, you might find a better one for the same price in another store" or "Hold your horses. We're almost there."

Origins

There are several sources documenting the usage of "hold your horses" ** In Book 23 of the ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...

'',

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

writes "Hold your horses!" when referring to

Antilochus In Greek mythology, Antilochus (; Ancient Greek: Ἀντίλοχος ''Antílokhos'') was a prince of Pylos and one of the Achaeans in the Trojan War. Family Antilochus was the son of King Nestor either by Anaxibia or Eurydice. He was the brot ...

driving like a maniac in a chariot race that

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's ''Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Peleus, k ...

initiates in the funeral games for

Patroclus In Greek mythology, as recorded in Homer's ''Iliad'', Patroclus (pronunciation variable but generally ; grc, Πάτροκλος, Pátroklos, glory of the father) was a childhood friend, close wartime companion, and the presumed (by some later a ...

. ** During the noise of battle, a Roman soldier would hold his horses. ** After the invention of gunpowder, the Chinese would have to hold their horses because of the noise. *Idiomatic meaning: ** 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."hold, v." OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2015. Web. 2 August 2015. Example: from Picayune (New Orleans) in September 1844, "Oh, hold your hosses, Squire. There's no use gettin' riled, no how." ** In

Chatelaine Chatelaine may refer to: * Chatelaine (chain), a set of short chains on a belt worn by women and men for carrying keys, thimble and/or sewing kit, etc. *Chatelaine (horse), a racehorse * ''Chatelaine'' (magazine), an English-language Canadian wom ...

, 1939, the modern spelling arises: "Hold your horses, dear." ** The term may have originated from army

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

units. Example: Hunt and Pringle's ''Service Slang'' (1943) quotes "Hold your horses, hold the job until further orders". **Dave Chappelle used the figurative term on his show towards Jim Brewer in a marijuana commercial **Other explanations come from its relation to stability and maintaining stability.

References

{{Authority control English-language idioms Metaphors referring to horses