to begin at the wrong end
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To attempt to do something unmethodically. To burn the candle at both ends. See BURN.
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 begin at the wrong end” mean?
To attempt to do something unmethodically. To burn the candle at both ends. See BURN.
Is “to begin at the wrong end” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.