Did you know the nursery rhyme 'If wishes were horses, beggars would ride' dates back to the 17th century?
It was first published in 1628 in a collection of Scottish proverbs, but it could be even older as a similar 1605 rhyme had the line "If wishes were thrushes beggars would eat birds".
What does 'If wishes were horses, beggars would ride' mean?
It means that if wishing could make things happen, then even poorest among us would be able to have everything
'If wishes were horses, beggars would ride' lyrics
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. If turnips were watches, I'd wear one by my side. If "ifs" and "ands" were pots and pans, There'd be no work for tinkers' hands.
More famous nursery rhyme lyrics
Main image © Clara E. Atwood, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons