change horses in midstream

English

Alternative forms

• swap horses in midstream
• change horses in mid-stream

Etymology

Popularized by Abraham Lincoln.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Verb

change horses in midstream (third-person singular simple present changes horses in midstream, present participle changing horses in midstream, simple past and past participle changed horses in midstream)

1. (idiomatic) To change one's plan or approach when an effort is already underway or at another inopportune time.
   • 1975, Bob Dylan (lyrics and music), “You're a Big Girl Now”, in Blood on the Tracks:

     A change in the weather is known to be extreme / But what's the sense of changing horses in midstream?

Usage notes

Often used as a caution: "don't change horses in midstream".

Translations

to change one's plan when an effort is already underway

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 陣前換帥, 臨敵易將／阵前换帅, 临敌易将, 半途而废 (zh) (bàntú'érfèi)

• Finnish: muuttaa mieltään kesken kaiken, muuttaa suunnitelmia kesken kaiken
• French: changer de cheval au milieu du gué (fr)
• German: mitten im Strom die Pferde wechseln
• Italian: squadra che vince non si cambia (literally “don't change horses in midstream”)
• Latvian: mainīt zirgus upes vidū
• Polish: zmieniać plan w połowie impf, zmienić plan w połowie pf
• Russian: меня́ть коне́й на перепра́ве (menjátʹ konéj na perepráve)
• Ukrainian: хто ко́ні міня́є - тому́ хому́т гуля́є (xto kóni minjáje - tomú xomút huljáje), міня́ти коне́й на перепра́ві (minjáty konéj na pereprávi)

Further reading

• Gary Martin (1997–) “Change horses in midstream”, in The Phrase Finder.