You Can’t Hitch a Mule Behind the PlowIn Southern and Appalachian speech, "you can’t hitch a mule behind the plow" means you can’t do things backward or out of order. It’s a country way of saying, "There’s a proper way to go about things." #SouthernSayings #Appalachia #Southern #FarmTalk #MoneyWorkandChores #Proverbs synonyms: cart before the horse Hillbilly Dude Says... Hillbilly Dude Says... Pronunciation[yoo kant hich uh myool buh-HAHND thuh plow] /ju kænt hɪtʃ ə mjul bəˈhaɪnd ðə plaʊ/ Meaning & Usage- Do things in the right order (proverb)
Mae:
Earl:
Origin and EtymologyBorn from literal farm life, where the mule must be hitched ahead of the plow to pull it. The saying evolved as a metaphor for doing things in the correct sequence. Common across rural Appalachia and the Deep South. Usage NotesUsed mainly by older generations and rural speakers. It parallels "Don’t put the cart before the horse," but with distinctly Southern imagery. | ...
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