Spread of Shooting Terminology

[AGCR]

American gun culture is dominant enough that many shooting terms have become ubiquitous completely outside of firearm related usage, particularly older phrases like "flash in the pan" which people often use having no knowledge about black powder guns. I'm considering writing something on that and here are what I've collected so far:

Don't shoot 'till you see the whites of their eyes
Hot shot
Loaded for bear
Dry shot
Lock and load
You may fire when ready, Gridley
Keep your powder dry
Flash in the pan
Off like a shot
son of a gun
Shotgun wedding
Shotgun houses
sure as shootin'
Shoot first, ask questions later
shot themselves in the foot
You never hear the one that gets you
Faster than a speeding bullet
hanging fire

Anyone have a few more?

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[2506]

Hot shot and son-of-a-gun have more to do with Naval cannons than firearms.

 

[AGCR]

Hot shot and son-of-a-gun have more to do with Naval cannons than firearms.

True, I intend to separate out the ones which are more general military in nature.

Don't forget "riding shotgun."

 

[C&H]

"Lock, stock and barrel", which is related to "hook, line and sinker".
Also "blowback".

 

[Phonelesscord]

Quick on the draw

 

[GRUNDEL]

Money Shot?

 

[zeppelin]

downrange, primed and ready, aim high, dud, misfire, target, gather ammunition, going off half cocked, point blank, zero in.....

 

[zeppelin]

smoking gun, hotter than a $2 pistol, having ones sights set on something, taking a shotgun approach, shooting from the hip, rapid fire questions, outgunned, easy as shooting fish in a barrel, filed strip, gun shy, magnum, going together like Smith and Wesson

 

[Sponkmeister]

Point and click.

 

[MarkAd]

Lock and load, cocked and locked. going off half cocked, lite um up, shotgun start, Hot load (trucjers use that one a lot).

 

[Trlsmn]

Saturday night special

 

[PhysicsGuy]

"Clip" is probably the worse misused term

 

[JUSTIficatioN]

When the bullet hits the bone

 

[Jamie6.5]

The whole nine yards.

 

[Ding]

shooting blanks
outa bullets
long shot
missed the target
hit the target
shoot first,ask questions later
firing line
mad minute
return fire
wait,don't fire till ya see the whites of their eyes
powder keg
spray and pray
full auto
RKBA
killing zone
free fire zone
meh

 

[ZachS]

cock block

 

[Dr. Tatu]

she's got a hair trigger.

he's a straight shooter.

fish in a barrel.

stealing candy from a baby.

completely missed the target on that one.

 

[AGCR]

cock block

Eh?
On the other hand, I was delighted when I found there is such a thing as a snatch block.

 

[ZachS]

Eh?
On the other hand, I was delighted when I found there is such a thing as a snatch block.

 

[Gunner3456]

The whole nine yards.

Refers to concrete mixer trucks which up until recently could haul only nine yards due to highway weight restrictions. Depending on your pour, you could order a partial load, or ask for "the whole nine yards."