go off at half-cock

• Veralteter Ausdruck dafür, etwas voreilig oder ohne ausreichende Vorbereitung zu beginnen, was oft zu Misserfolg oder schlechtem Ergebnis führt. Ursprünglich bezog es sich auf einen versehentlichen Schuss aus einer Feuerwaffe, wenn der Hahn nur halb gespannt war.

An old-fashioned expression meaning to begin something prematurely or without proper preparation, often resulting in failure or a poor outcome. Originally referred to a firearm discharging accidentally when the cock was only half-raised.

1. Act prematurelyC1informalbritish

   To start something too early or without proper preparation, often leading to failure.

   Vorschnell handeln

   • He went off at half-cock and announced the deal before it was finalized.
   • The team went off at half-cock and launched the product without testing it properly.
   • Don't go off at half-cock; wait until we have all the information.