don't bring a knife to a gunfight

don't bring a knife to a gunfight

Don't come poorly prepared or equipped for some task, goal, competition, or confrontation. Make sure you have researched your position thoroughly and comprehensively before the debate. You don't want to bring a knife to a gunfight. Of course you lost the trial—your whole case was based on speculation and anecdotal evidence. Next time, don't bring a knife to a gunfight.

See also: bring, gunfight, knife, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.