The horse thinks one thing, and he that rides him another.
Meaning: Intentions diverge between those who control and those controlled; agreement cannot be assumed despite outward cooperation.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
Equivalents in Spanish
- Spanish: Una cosa piensa el vayo, y otra el que lo ensilla (literally: The horse thinks one thing, and his rider another)
More proverbs about Wisdom
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- There are more threatened than struck. — More people fear danger than actually experience it; anxiety often exceeds real harm.
- If you make not much of threepence you'll ne'er be worth a groat. — Neglecting small sums leads to poverty; careless management of modest earnings prevents a…
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From our tongue twisters
- Seize chaises sèches sur seize arches sèches. — A relentless collision of 'sei', 'sèch', and 's' — the tongue can't find traction.
- Un beau ver vert dans un verre vert verra un ver vert. — Ver (worm), vert (green), and verre (glass) are near-homophones — distinguishing them at…
- Didon dîna, dit-on, du dos d'un dodu dindon dont le dodu dos dodine. — A 'd' / 'din' / 'dod' avalanche that seems designed to jam the tongue in third gear.