How do you use "Hold your horses" in a sentence?

Hold your horses, the cornbread isn't out of the oven yet. Hold your horses — let me finish what I was saying. The kids were so excited they could barely hold their horses.

Hold your horses

Q: What does "Hold your horses" mean?

Be patient; slow down; wait a moment. A Southern way to tell someone to slow down and be patient. It's gentler than 'wait' and more colorful than 'hold on.' Often used when someone is getting ahead of themselves or being impatient. It's delivered with warmth, not irritation.

American Slang Term American ★★★★★ Very Common informal

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Meaning: Be patient; slow down; wait a moment.

耐心点；别急；等一下。

Ten paciencia; frena un poco; espera un momento.

落ち着いて。慌てないで。ちょっと待って。

참을성을 가져. 서두르지 마. 잠깐 기다려.

A Southern way to tell someone to slow down and be patient. It's gentler than 'wait' and more colorful than 'hold on.' Often used when someone is getting ahead of themselves or being impatient. It's delivered with warmth, not irritation.

这是南方人让别人慢下来、耐心点的说法。它比'wait'更温和，比'hold on'更有画面感。常用于某人操之过急或不耐烦的时候。说的时候带着温暖，而不是烦躁。

Una forma sureña de decirle a alguien que se calme y tenga paciencia. Es más suave que 'espera' y más pintoresco que 'un momento'. Se usa a menudo cuando alguien se adelanta a los acontecimientos o está impaciente. Se dice con calidez, no con irritación.

相手に落ち着いてもらうための南部流の言い方。「待って」よりも柔らかく、「ちょっと待って」よりも味わいがある。相手が先走りしたり、せっかちになっている時によく使われる。苛立ちではなく、温かみを込めて言う表現。

누군가에게 천천히 하라고 인내심을 가지라고 말하는 남부식 표현이다. '기다려'보다 부드럽고 '잠깐만'보다 재미있다. 누군가 너무 앞서가거나 성급할 때 주로 쓰인다. 짜증이 아닌 따뜻함을 담아 말한다.

Examples

Hold your horses, the cornbread isn't out of the oven yet.
别急，玉米面包还没出炉呢。
Para el carro, el pan de maíz aún no ha salido del horno.
まあまあ落ち着いて、コーンブレッドはまだオーブンから出てないよ。
조금만 기다려, 콘브레드가 아직 오븐에서 안 나왔어.
Hold your horses — let me finish what I was saying.
等一下——让我把话说完。
Para el carro, déjame terminar lo que estaba diciendo.
ちょっと待って——私の話を最後まで聞いてよ。
잠깐만 — 내 말 끝까지 들어봐.
The kids were so excited they could barely hold their horses.
孩子们兴奋得完全按捺不住了。
Los niños estaban tan emocionados que apenas podían contenerse.
子どもたちは興奮しすぎて、じっとしていられなかった。
아이들이 너무 들떠서 가만히 있질 못했다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: patience, slowing down, parenting

Tone: patient, firm

✓ Do Say

Hold your horses.
别急。
Para el carro.
Hold your horses.（まあ落ち着いて）
서두르지 마.
Now hold your horses a minute.
先别急，等一下。
Para el carro un momento.
Now hold your horses a minute.（ちょっと待ってよ）
자, 잠깐만 기다려 봐.

✗ Don't Say

Don't use condescendingly — it should sound friendly, not dismissive
不要用居高临下的语气——应该听起来友好，而不是不屑
No se usa de forma condescendiente; debería sonar amigable, no despectivo
見下すように使わない——友好的に聞こえるべきで、突き放すような言い方にならないように
거만하게 쓰지 말 것 — 무시하는 느낌이 아니라 친근하게 들려야 한다

Origin & History

From the literal act of holding back horses that want to run. The expression has been used in American English since at least the 1840s, particularly in the South and West where horse culture was central to daily life.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Throughout the South and rural America