Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations is a proverb that means wealth gained in one generation is often lost by the third generation.

He brought a knife to a gunfight.

He is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

He uses a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

He used a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

He brings a knife to a gunfight.

I have faced many challenges in my life, but I always live to tell the tale.

To be precise, I have three cats.

One thing leads to another.

Her embarrassing comment put him to the blush.