go off half-cocked

go off at half-cock

1. To act hastily or impulsively. I'll admit that I went off at half-cock when I sent that angry email before finding out what really happened.
2. To fail. If the caterer quits, this party is definitely going to go off at half-cock.
See also: go, off

go off half-cocked

To act prematurely, impulsively, or rashly. Don't go off half-cocked and say something you'll regret later.
See also: go, off
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

go off half-cocked

Fig. to go into action too early or without thinking. (Originally refers to a flintlock or matchlock gun firing prematurely, before the trigger was pulled.) Don't go off half-cocked. Plan out what you're going to do. Bill went off half-cocked and told everybody he was running for the state legislature.
See also: go, off
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

go off at half-cock

BRITISH or

go off half-cocked

mainly AMERICAN
1. If someone goes off at half-cock, they suddenly start doing something without preparing for it or thinking about it enough. She was a disaster in meetings, never preparing and often going off at half-cock. Remember, don't go off half-cocked when we get there. Stick to the plan.
2. If an event or action goes off at half-cock, it is unsuccessful. The organisation had emerged well from an event that many had expected to go off at half-cock. Note: Half-cocked and half-cock can also be used before a noun to describe something that is done badly and not thoroughly enough. Finally there is the matter of the half-cock privatisation of London Underground. In-store guest appearances are usually embarrassing, half-cocked events. Note: If a gun goes off at half-cock, it does not fire properly and so the shot is wasted. This is because the firing mechanism has not been raised high enough to connect with the trigger.
See also: go, off
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

go off at ˌhalf-ˈcock

(informal) start without enough preparation, so that the effect or result is not satisfactory: Let’s not go off at half-cock. We must get enough people together before we start the meeting.This refers to an old type of gun. It it was at half-cock, the firing lever (= cock) was not pulled all the way back so that the gun was not completely ready to fire.
See also: go, off
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

go off half-cocked

in. to proceed without knowing all the facts. The boss went off half-cocked and exploded into a rage about the mess.
See also: go, off
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • go off at half-cock
  • go off at half-cock/half-cocked, to
  • at half cock
  • undone
  • what is done cannot be undone
  • what's done cannot be undone
  • cock socket
  • cocksocket
  • cock a
  • cock a snook at somebody/something
References in periodicals archive
A word to you dreamers out there: Don't look at this advice and go off half-cocked talking to your spouse about how you're going to start raising ostriches and make $100,000 a year at it--and I doer care if you happen to live on a farm!
Getting on the road toward financial freedom: there are several basic steps that anyone can take to reach economic empowerment. Here are three of them
When lefties go off half-cocked with conspiracy theories, it does our cause no good.
Mum's the word. (Editor's Note)
But we'd much rather stage a fantastic first expo in 2001 than go off half-cocked this summer."
Nudists put off their rally at Coombe Park; Naked lifestyle show will be held next year
Make sure that you have all the facts, whatever the issue is, and don't just jump the gun or go off half-cocked without getting the facts.
Real pressure
Maybe the Chronicle and Examiner did go off half-cocked and bulldoze this thing through, but there must be a simpler solution to the matter than overheated rhetoric about condo conspiracies."
Press facility controversy in San Francisco
* don't go off half-cocked. Before launching the program, Russo's company invested more than $25,000 in creative costs for collateral materials--ads, brochures, posters, cards, and stationery--that are included in the TimeSlips Business Development Kit.
The TimeSlips service network