cart Idiom

cart before the horse

(See the cart before the horse)

put the cart before the horse

do things in the wrong order I think that he is putting the cart before the horse by talking about fixing up the house before he even buys it.

the cart before the horse

backwards, back to front Having dessert before dinner is putting the cart before the horse.

upset the apple cart

cause a major problem, stop progress You will upset the apple cart if you tell your folks we're moving.

upset the applecart

ruin a plan or event by surprise or accident Everything was going well at the company until he came along and upset the apple cart.

give sb carte blanche

Idiom(s): give someone carte blanche AND give carte blanche to someone

Theme: FREEDOM

to give someone freedom or permission to act as one wishes or thinks necessary.
• He's been given carte blanche with the reorganization of the workforce.
• The manager has been given no instructions about how to train the staff. The owner just gave him carte blanche.
• Jane gave carte blanche to the decorator and said she wanted the whole house done.

give carte blanche to

Don't upset the applecart

If you are advised not to upset the applecart, you are being told not to disturb the way things are done because it might ruin things.

Hell in a handcart

If something is going to hell in a handcart, it is getting worse and worse, with no hope of stopping the decline.

Putting the cart before the horse

When you put the cart before the horse, you are doing something the wrong way round.

cart off|cart|cart away

v., informal To take away, often with force or with rough handling or behavior. The police carted the rioters off to jail. When Bobby wouldn't eat his supper, his mother carted him away to bed.

to put the cart before the horse|cart|cart before

n. phr., informal Things in wrong order; something backwards or mixed up.

An overused expression. Usually used with "put" but sometimes with "get" or "have". When the salesman wanted money for goods he hadn't delivered, I told him he was putting the cart before the horse. To get married first and then get a job is getting the cart before the horse.

upset one's applecart|applecart|upset|upset the ap

v. phr., informal To ruin a plan or what is being done, often by surprise or accident; change how things are or are being done, often unexpectedly; ruin or mix up another person's success or plan for success. John upset the other team's applecart by hitting a home run in the last inning and we won the game. We are planning a surprise party for Bill, so don't let Mary upset the applecart by telling him before the party. Frank thinks he is going to be the boss, but I'll upset his applecart the first chance I get.
Compare: ROCK THE BOAT.

apple cart

apple cart
upset the apple cart
to disrupt a procedure, spoil someone's plans, etc.

cart

cart
In addition to the idioms beginning with cart, also see upset the applecart.
* * *
- cart before the horse, put the
- cart off

cart before the horse, put the

cart before the horse, put the
Reverse the proper order of things or events, as in Don't put the cart before the horse and give away the punch line. This expression has been used since antiquity but was first recorded in English in 1520.

cart off

cart off
Also, cart away. Transport or remove in an unceremonious way, as in The police carted them all off to jail, or We'll call the town to cart away this trash. This term owes its meaning to cart, a humble conveyance compared to a carriage. [Second half of 1800s]