Hold your horses
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="horses">horses</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span>: “<span word="I">I</span> <span word="wanted">wanted</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="improvements">improvements</span>... <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="boss">boss</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="horses">horses</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="days">days</span>!”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="boss">boss</span> <span word="tells">tells</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="writer">writer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="patient">patient</span>, <span word="asking">asking</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="news">news</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="days">days</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="case">case</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="instance">instance</span>, <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="improvements">improvements</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="meantime">meantime</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="what">what</span> “<span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="horses">horses</span>” <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="here">here</span>, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="less">less</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Hold">Hold</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="horses">horses</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="harks">harks</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="wagons">wagons</span> <span word="driven">driven</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="horses">horses</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="roaming">roaming</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="roads">roads</span> <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="automobiles">automobiles</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="the">the</span> “<span word="horses">horses</span>” <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="horses">horses</span> <span word="driving">driving</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="kind">kind</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="vehicle">vehicle</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="easier">easier</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="driver">driver</span>, <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="messenger">messenger</span>, <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="horses">horses</span>”.</p><p><span word="Obviously">Obviously</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="horses">horses</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="run">run</span>, <span word="galloping">galloping</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="full">full</span> <span word="speed">speed</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="vain">vain</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="recalled">recalled</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="else">else</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="messenger">messenger</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="you">you</span>. <span word="There">There</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="catching">catching</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="messenger">messenger</span> <span word="now">now</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="foot">foot</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="rate">rate</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="rate">rate</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="messenger">messenger</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="horses">horses</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="amiss">amiss</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idioms">idioms</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="easy">easy</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="explained">explained</span>. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="beauty">beauty</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="English">English</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="beastliness">beastliness</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="it">it</span> – <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="school">school</span> <span word="master">master</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="school">school</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="England">England</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="purists">purists</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="country">country</span>, <span word="Americans">Americans</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="ruined">ruined</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="language">language</span>.</p>
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