" If wishes were horses, beggars would ride " is a proverb and nursery rhyme, first recorded about 1628 in a collection of Scottish proverbs, [1] which suggests if wishing could make things happen, then even the most destitute people would have everything they wanted. [2]
What does “if wishes were horses” mean? Learn the origin, meaning, and usage of this proverb.
Also known as a proverb, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride” is a traditional nursery rhyme originating from the 16th century England. The meaning of the proverb is that it is not enough to wish upon something, you have to take action if you want it to happen.
The rhyme imagines a world where wishes turn into real things — horses, watches, and household items — and points out, with humor, that life doesn’t work that way.
If Wishes Were Horses — Lyrics & Meaning | Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose
Nursery rhyme If Wishes Were Horses (Beggars Would Ride) lyrics, tune and video!
For example, Wendy would love a brand-new car for her sixteenth birthday but-if wishes were horses. This expression is a shortening of If wishes were horses, beggars would ride, first recorded about 1628 in a collection of Scottish proverbs.
What's the meaning and origin of the phrase 'If wishes were horses, beggers would ride'?
Read everything about the phrase 'if wishes were horses, beggars might ride' with examples, synonyms and quiz.
Today, you likely know this expression as "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride;" but what you may not know is the full nursery rhyme as recorded by James Orchard Halliwell around 1840: