to back the wrong horse
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To make an error in judgment, and suffer for it. A phrase from the Turf.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to back the wrong horse” mean?
To make an error in judgment, and suffer for it. A phrase from the Turf.
Is “to back the wrong horse” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.