to kick over the traces
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Not to follow the leader, but to act independently; as a horse refusing to run in harness kicks over the traces.
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 kick over the traces” mean?
Not to follow the leader, but to act independently; as a horse refusing to run in harness kicks over the traces.
Is “to kick over the traces” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.