don’t change horses in mid-stream
- don’t change horses in mid-stream
The proverb is also used in the phrase to change horses in mid-stream.
1864 A. LINCOLN Collected Works (1953) VII. 384 I am reminded..of a story of an old Dutch farmer, who remarked to a companion once that ‘it was best not to swap horses when crossing streams’.
1929 R. GRAVES Good-bye to All That xxiii. ‘If ours is the true religion why do you not become a Catholic?’.. ‘Reverend father, we have a proverb in England never to swap horses while crossing a stream’.
1967 RIDOUT & WITTING English Proverbs Explained 41 Don’t change horses in midstream... If we think it necessary to make changes, we must choose the right moment to make them.
1979 D. MAY Revenger’s Comedy ix. Changing horses, love? I should look before you leap.
Proverbs new dictionary.
Look at other dictionaries:
don't change horses in midstream — Meaning Proverb. Origin From an 1864 speech by Abraham Lincoln. An old Dutch farmer, who remarked to a companion once that it was not best to swap horses in mid stream … Meaning and origin of phrases
mid-stream — see don’t change horses in mid stream … Proverbs new dictionary
change horses in midstream — phrase to change your mind about something in the middle of doing it Thesaurus: to change your opinion, attitudes or behavioursynonym Main entry: horse * * * change horses in midstream see ↑horse, 1 • • • … Useful english dictionary
change horses in the middle of a stream — • change horses in midstream • change horses in the middle of a stream make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity They decided to change horses in midstream and that is probably why they lost the election. (var.) … Idioms and examples
change horses in midstream — • change horses in midstream • change horses in the middle of a stream make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity They decided to change horses in midstream and that is probably why they lost the election. (var.) … Idioms and examples
stream — see a stream cannot rise above its source don’t change horses in mid stream when the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten, and the last stream poisoned, you will realize that you cannot eat money … Proverbs new dictionary
change — noun see a change is as good as a rest verb see don’t change horses in mid stream change the name and not the letter, change for the worse and not the better if you are not the lead dog, the view never changes the leopard does not change his … Proverbs new dictionary
Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, Thematic Index — absence absence makes the heart grow fonder he who is absent is always in the wrong the best of friends must part blue are the hills that are far away distance lends enchantment to the view out of sight, out of mind … Proverbs new dictionary
horse — see you can take a horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink don’t change horses in mid stream England is the paradise of women, the hell of horses, and the purgatory of servants never look a gift horse in the mouth a good horse cannot be… … Proverbs new dictionary
swap — see don’t change horses in mid stream … Proverbs new dictionary
