Putting the Cart Before the Horse Is Six Centuries Old
A cart is a small wheeled vehicle. Its most familiar idiom has been in English since the 1500s.
A cart is a small wheeled vehicle, usually pulled by an animal or pushed by hand. *Put the cart before the horse* is recorded in English from the 1500s and older still in Latin and Greek, which shows how long the image of reversed order has been obvious to anyone who worked with animals. The word also survives in *go-kart*, spelled with a K, and in the *shopping cart* that named the online checkout basket.
- A small wheeled vehicle. *A horse and cart.*
- To carry by cart. *Cart it away.*
- Shopping cart — an online basket. *Add to cart.*
- Cart before the horse — reversed order. *Cart before the horse.*
- Old Norse — *kartr*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | cart | A cart. |
| Plural | carts | Carts. |
| Verb | cart | Carting. |
| Compound | go-kart | A go-kart. |
| Old Norse | kartr | A cart. |
- The farmer loaded the cart.Vehicle.
- They carted the rubble away.Verb.
- Add three items to the cart.Online.
Cart and wagon
- A cart traditionally has two wheels
- A wagon has four and carries heavier loads
- A dray was a low cart for barrels
- A trap was a light two-wheeled carriage
- Cartwheel — the acrobatic move named after the turning wheel
Old Norse *kartr* or Old English *cræt*, a cart or chariot.
How old is putting the cart before the horse?
It is recorded in English from the 1500s, and equivalent phrases exist in Latin and Greek, so the image is ancient.
What is the difference between a cart and a wagon?
Traditionally a cart has two wheels and a wagon four, with the wagon built for heavier loads.