A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

purgatory see ENGLAND is the paradise of women.
purpose see the DEVIL can quote Scripture for his own ends.
purse see you can’t make a SILK purse out of a sow’s ear.
Don’t PUT the cart before the horse
Most commonly as the phrase (putting) the cart before the horse.

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  c 1520 R. WHITTINGTON Vulgaria (1527) 2 That techer setteth the carte before the horse that preferreth imitacyon before preceptes. 1589 G. PUTTENHAM Arte of English Poesie (Arber) 181 We call it in English prouerbe, the cart before the horse, the Greeks call it Histeron proteron. 1801 M. EDGEWORTH Belinda iii. Esteem ever followed affection, instead of affection following esteem. Woe be to all who in morals preposterously put the cart before the horse! 2002 CAI TRANSCRIPTION (web site) 17 May We at CAI say not to put the cart before the horse. Don’t invest heavily in reference materials that you most probably will not even use in the future during your career as a Medical Transcriptionist. ■ patience and impatience; ways and means
  

Never PUT off till tomorrow what you can do today
The proverb is often humorously reversed (see quots. 1869 and 1980). Cf. mid 14th-cent. Fr. le bien que tu peus faire au matin, n’attens pas le soir ne l’endemain, do not wait for the evening or the next day (to do) the good which you can do in the morning.

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  с 1386 CHAUCER Tale of Melibee 1. 1793 An olde proverbe.. seith that ‘the good- nesse that thou mayst do this day, do it, and abide nat ne delaye it nat til to-morwe’. 1616 T. DRAXE Adages 42 Deferre not vntill to morrow, if thou canst do it to day. 1633 J. HOWELL Familiar Letters 5 Sept. (1903) II. 140 Secretary Cecil.. would ofttimes speak of himself, ‘It shall never be said of me that I will defer till tomorrow what I can do to­day.’ 1749 CHESTERFIELD Letter 26 Dec. (1932) IV. 1478 No procrastination; never put off til to-morrow what you can do to-day. 1869 C. H. SPURGEON John Ploughman’s Talk vii. These slow coaches think that to-morrow is better than to-day, and take for their rule an old proverb turned topsy-turvy—‘Never do to-day what you can put off till tomorrow.’ 1980 J. LEES-MILNE Harold Nicolson xv. Lord Sackville was.. a lovable, easy-going but indolent peer whose philosophy is best summarized in one of his pet sayings: ‘Never do today what you can possibly put off until tomorrow.’ 2002 Washington Post 16 Feb. C13 (Born Loser comic strip) ‘Brutus, weren’t you going to take down the Christmas lights this weekend?’ ‘No.. Next weekend, Gladys! Never put off till tomorrow what you can put off till next weekend!’ "efficiency and inefficiency; procrastination
  

put see also don’t put all your EGGS in one basket; you can’t put NEW wine in old bottles; you cannot put an OLD head on young shoulders; put a STOUT heart to a stey brae; put your TRUST in God, and keep your power dry.