- go off at half cock
- Meaning
Act hastily.OriginFlintlock rifles can be fired from full cock or half cock but only work well from full cock.
Meaning and origin of phrases. 2013.
go off at half cock
Look at other dictionaries:
go off at half-cock — verb act prematurely or without reflection or too soon she wanted to quit her job but her mother told her not to go off half cocked • Syn: ↑go off half cocked • Hypernyms: ↑act, ↑move • Verb Frames: Somebody s … Useful english dictionary
go\ off\ at\ half\ cock — • go off half cocked • go off at half cock v. phr. informal To act or speak before getting ready; to do something too soon. Bill often goes off half cocked. Mr. Jones was thinking about quilting his job, but his wife told him not to go at half… … Словарь американских идиом
go off at half cock — (informal) To begin too soon, when not properly prepared • • • Main Entry: ↑cock … Useful english dictionary
go off at half-cock — old fashioned, old fashioned to suddenly give your opinion without preparing what you are saying or understanding the subject you are talking about, often because you are angry. You don t listen. You just go off at half cock without even hearing… … New idioms dictionary
half cock — noun 1. : the position of the hammer of a firearm when about half retracted and held by the sear so that it cannot be operated by a pull on the trigger 2. : a state of inadequate preparation or mental confusion used with at the whole project went … Useful english dictionary
half cock — noun Date: 1745 1. the position of the hammer of a firearm when about half retracted and held by the sear so that it cannot be operated by a pull on the trigger 2. chiefly British a state of inadequate preparation or mental confusion < go off at… … New Collegiate Dictionary
half cock — see go off at half cock half 1 (11) … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
half-cock — UK / US noun go off at half cock … English dictionary
go off at half-cock — British informal to start doing something without being properly prepared, so that the results are not successful … English dictionary
half cocked — also .half cock BrE [Date: 1800 1900; Origin: cock to get a gun ready to fire ] go off half cocked go off at half cock BrE to do something without enough thought or preparation, so that it is not successful … Dictionary of contemporary English
