to adopt or
change over to a new
course of
action while in the middle of another; to make new plans or choose a new
leader during a crisis or in the middle of an important activity. This
phrase comes from the
action of trying to
change horses while one is crossing a river or stream, which is not only difficult, but could also be
dangerous. It became famous when Abraham
Lincoln (1809-1865),
President of the United
States during the
American Civil War (1861-1865), used it in an official
address. He stated that although certain people were dissatisfied with his conduct of the
war, they had renominated him, and the best thing was for him to remain as
president rather than for them to "
swap horses while crossing the river."