Don’t Go Off Half-Cocked!

mechanism of antique gunHonestly!  You’d think I’d learn.  Two days in a row this week I’ve assumed I knew where to go somewhere and didn’t bother with the GPS.  On both occasions I wasted time wandering around until I finally figured out where I was going.

And these experiences made me think about how often I do this sort of thing.  They also made me wonder about the phrase “going off half-cocked.”  I knew it had something to do with old guns, but it was interesting to find out how the phrase actually originated.  If you look at the picture you’ll see a lever or pin sticking up there on the left.  That’s the “cock.”  When it’s back as far as it will go and you pull the trigger, it will fall forward

Read more