Meaning of Idiom ‘If Wishes Were Horses’
If wishes were horses means that simply wishing for things does not make them happen; one must work actively for the things one wants; if wishes came true, then even the poorest people would have everything they want and need.
Sentence Examples
“My son wants every new game console that comes out…if wishes were horses.”
“She wants his supporters to listen to reason. If wishes were horses…”
“You want a car for your birthday? Yeah, and if wishes were horses I’d drive a Lamborghini.”
Origin
This idiom comes from the older proverb ‘If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” The earliest reference in print is found in Proverbs in Scots, collected and arranged by James Carmichael, published sometime during the 1600s:
And wishes were horses pure (poor) men wald ryde.
The word and, in this quote, is used like the conditional ‘if.’
This proverb had antecedents, however, such as that found in William Camden’s (1551–1623) Remaines of a Greater Worke, Concerning Britaine, printed in 1605:
If wishes were thrushes beggars would eat birds.
Other versions of this proverb existed as well such as “If wishes were buttercakes, beggers might bite.”
All of the variations suggest that if wishes came true, then even the poorest people would have everything they wanted and life would be easy.
