What’s the Source of the Expression '… And the Horse You Rode In On'?

Though horses are no longer the primary means of transport in the U.S., the echoes of our equestrian past remain embedded in language. When we’re putting someone down, the phrase ‘... and the horse you rode in on’ still comes up. These days, it’s unusual for the person being insulted to actually be a rider, so how did ‘and the horse you rode in on’ become part of our lexicon?

The Meaning and Origins of ‘… And the Horse You Rode In On’

Let’s begin with the basics. The phrase is essentially an intensifier, usually tacked onto ‘f**k you.’ As public radio show A Way With Words explains, it’s typically directed at ‘someone who’s full of themselves and not wanted.’ According to co-host and lexicographer Grant Barrett, ‘instead of just insulting you, they aim to insult your entire situation.’

The expression can be traced back to at least the 1950s, though it might be even older. As Barrett pointed out, much of the crude language from the early 20th century never made it into print. He speculated that it could have been in common use before World War II.

In 1998, William Safire of The New York Times uncovered several novels that featured the phrase, including the 1972 book The Friends of Eddie Coyle (which has Coyle telling a woman who upset him, 'f**k you, lady ... and the horse you rode in on') and No Bugles, No Drums (1976). Michael Seidman, editor of the latter book, told Safire he had heard a version of the phrase ('and the white horse you rode in on and all your relatives in Brooklyn') growing up in the Bronx after the Korean War, which led Safire to pinpoint the phrase's origins to at least the late 1950s.

The Popularity of the Phrase

The phrase has had some committed followers over the years. Donald Regan, Secretary of the Treasury under Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1984, even incorporated it into his official Treasury Department portrait. In the background of the painting, the spine of a book bears the title: 'And the Horse You Rode In On,' which was reportedly one of Regan’s favorite expressions.

The book in the portrait wasn’t an actual publication, but similar titles have been released since, such as Clinton strategist James Carville’s …and the Horse He Rode In On: The People V. Kenneth Starr and Dakota McFadzean’s 2013 comic collection Other Stories And the Horse You Rode In On.

The phrase has even been used as an album title multiple times: Soul Asylum named their fifth studio album, released in 1990, And the Horse They Rode in On (featuring a horse on the cover); Australian singer/songwriter James Reyne used it for his seventh album, released in 2005, as did the band Lynn Allen for their 2007 record (no horse imagery on the covers of those two albums, however).

It seems that, even in an era where few people arrive on horseback, disparaging a man's steed remains an enduring insult.