Beggars on horseback will ride to the devil.
Beggars on horseback will ride to the devil.
Meaning in plain English
The horseback image criticises reckless use of newly acquired power or advantage. Its description of beggars carries a contemptuous social judgment, so a useful reading should examine conduct after a change in position without treating poverty as evidence of bad character.
Example
A newly appointed club coordinator starts overriding agreed procedures; members challenge those decisions without attacking the coordinator’s earlier social position.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The rider has gained a means of travelling farther and faster, yet the destination is destructive. Figuratively, an advantage can amplify recklessness when someone uses it without restraint. The sentence blames a social category for that behaviour, which is an unfair generalisation. Reckless use of influence is not confined to people who previously lacked it. A careful reading transfers the question from status to action: what is the person doing with the new opportunity, and who is affected? The warning then concerns responsibility in using power, rather than the supposed unfitness of poor people to possess it.
When to use it
Use it cautiously to discuss irresponsible use of a new advantage.
Keep in mind
The historical insult does not establish a link between poverty and misconduct.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-04. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 98 · Beggars
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗