Throw caution to the wind

Origin of: Throw caution to the wind

Throw caution to the wind

To throw, cast or fling anything to the wind is to discard it and in this general sense the expression dates from at least the 1400s. Thus, one can throw reasoning, discretion, good manners, anything at all really, to the wind. For some unknown reason, in relatively recent times, caution has become the firm favourite and throwing it to the wind dates from the late 19th century.