Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective of a gun Not fully cocked
- adjective of a plan, etc. Not fully prepared
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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They can manage arched eyebrows and knowing smiles, of course, and possibly hike up a few prices as a result, but proper full-on guffaws at the absurdity of it all – at the prospect of flogging recycled Warholia and half-cocked conceptualism to Chinese industrialists and impeccably orthodontured hedge-fund managers – that would never do.
Frieze art fair 2010 – review Tim Adams 2010
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The atomization presented here makes that final moment of crossing the threshold of the loo door all the more moving: despite their squabbles, they manage, half-cocked, to approach the stage as one.
James Scarborough: Hollywood Fringe: The Dumb Waiter, Vespertine Productions & Girl Band in the Men's Room, Dirty Blonde Productions James Scarborough 2011
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Meanwhile, some half-cocked ideas are floating around about how to make farmers 'markets stricter, less accessible, and heavier on bureaucracy and process.
Elizabeth McVay Greene: Chaos at the Farmers' Market Elizabeth McVay Greene 2010
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It was a remarkably stupid question, and President Obama put him in his place on the follow-up, saying that he preferred to "know what he's talking about" before going off half-cocked.
Eric Alterman: Think Again: Wall Street Wins (and Whines) Eric Alterman 2011
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Meanwhile, some half-cocked ideas are floating around about how to make farmers 'markets stricter, less accessible, and heavier on bureaucracy and process.
Elizabeth McVay Greene: Chaos at the Farmers' Market Elizabeth McVay Greene 2010
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Meanwhile, some half-cocked ideas are floating around about how to make farmers 'markets stricter, less accessible, and heavier on bureaucracy and process.
Elizabeth McVay Greene: Chaos at the Farmers' Market Elizabeth McVay Greene 2010
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"While the risk (of new attacks) may go up, the good news is that in the rush to do something, some of these (groups) may go off half-cocked" and allow U.S. officials to learn more about the surviving terror networks.
Bin Laden's death creates leadership void, may spark reprisals 2011
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"While the risk (of new attacks) may go up, the good news is that in the rush to do something, some of these (groups) may go off half-cocked" and allow U.S. officials to learn more about the surviving terror networks.
Bin Laden's death creates leadership void, may spark reprisals 2011
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Here, too, was the past versus the future, and the past quit on its stool before the start of the seventh round in the first fight before succumbing to a half-cocked right cross, the famous "phantom punch", after 1min 43sec of the opening round of the second, a moment of sporting history still scrutinised in case it should throw up new evidence of Ali's genius or Liston's corrupted soul.
Muhammad Ali still carrying that torch on his 70th birthday | Richard Williams 2012
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Meanwhile, some half-cocked ideas are floating around about how to make farmers 'markets stricter, less accessible, and heavier on bureaucracy and process.
Elizabeth McVay Greene: Chaos at the Farmers' Market Elizabeth McVay Greene 2010
chained_bear commented on the word half-cocked
I learned the origin of the term "going off half-cocked" recently. On muskets, you half-cock to put the gun in a position of safety. You can't pull the trigger when it's half-cocked (you literally can't, it won't move, unless of course the gun is malfunctioning). Half-cock is a safe position to handle the weapon, march with it, load powder into the pan, etc. When you go off half-cocked it means you're ill-prepared, and a little stupid.
Similar origin to "flash in the pan."
October 20, 2007
oroboros commented on the word half-cocked
Ever since reading Neal Stephenson's System of the World trilogy, I always think of "Half-cocked Jack" when I run across this word. What an amazing character- (and plot-) developer Stephenson is!
October 20, 2007
chained_bear commented on the word half-cocked
Oh my gosh, I lurve half-cocked Jack. I completely forgot about that connotation!
Of course, he wasn't given that name because he was... uh... ill-prepared.
October 21, 2007
reesetee commented on the word half-cocked
C_b, there seem to be quite a few common figures of speech that were originally related to firearms & such. Have you thought about making a list?
Signed, Too Lazy to See Whether You Have Already
October 22, 2007
chained_bear commented on the word half-cocked
reesetee... you know what? That's a damn good idea. If I haven't already done so.
Signed, Too Lazy to Check Even My Own Lists.
October 23, 2007
reesetee commented on the word half-cocked
Well...you know. When you get to it.
October 23, 2007