Gun phrases.

[Working Man]

There is a lot of phrases out there that involve words related to guns and
shooting but where guns have nothing to do with the actual meaning of the
statement.

A person could get chewed out by their SO for something and say, she let
me have it with "both barrels".

I have heard civil disputes where the first side to get a lawyer is often
referred to as "bringing out the big guns".

What other such terms have you heard or even used that follows such
wording?

 

[crazed_ss]

"Half cocked" .. used when someone doesnt do something 100%

 

[griz]

Lock, stock, and barrel

 

[critter]

Lock stock and barrel.
Firing off a letter.
Hot as a $2 pistol.
Pistol packing mama.
Using a shotgun approach (as to cover all bases).
Pulling the trigger (as when actually making a deal).
Colt 45 (a bubbly drink!)
Bullet shaped (to indicate being streamlined).
Loaded (a full magazine OR too much bubbly!)
Shooting (as in a basketball)

 

[Stickjockey]

Ramrod straight

Straight shooter (one who tells it like it is)

on target

 

[Medusa]

going ballistic, ie going mad.

 

[Biker]

Shootin' from the hip.
Open sights as in "I can spot a drunk blonde at 100 yards over open sights".

Biker

 

[Bwana John]

"The Full Nine Yards"

In referance to the lenght of the belt for an M-2, aircraft mounted, .50 BMG during WW2.


"A Green Horn"

Someone who has not had enough time in the woods for his powder horn to cure.

 

[Darth Ruger]

"He's just a flash in the pan."
Said of someone who's all talk and no action, refers to a flintlock that misfires.

 

[MS .45]

Hotter than a two dollar pistol.

 

[nomadboi]

Bite the bullet
Jump the gun
Faster than a speeding bullet

RE: Whole 9 yards... I had heard that was in reference to the Scottish great kilt, which is basically a 9 yard long piece of fabric...

 

[Frandy]

Keep your powder dry
point and shoot
son of a gun
gun moll
smoking gun
Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just glad to see me.

 

[dmallind]

How about gun shy?
Gunning the engine?
rifling through drawers (OK that's probably a corruption of "riffling" but hey)
shotgun house
shotgun wedding (probably because of that gun in the pocket Fran was mentioning )

 

[Steve F]

Shotgun WeddingOpps,I see that was taken already,my bad

 

[Bwana John]

RE: Whole 9 yards... I had heard that was in reference to the Scottish great kilt, which is basically a 9 yard long piece of fabric...

I think you will find a winter weight scottish kilt has 12 or 14 yards of material.

 

[nomadboi]

Shooting blanks, as in after having a little operation to make sure you don't have to raise more kids, for example.

Caliber- has several meanings now.

Show of your 'guns' with a tight, sleeveless shirt and flexed arms.

 

[Smurfslayer]

Under the gun
In the crosshairs
Drop the hammer
The smoking gun

 

[Clipper]

Sorta gun-type expression...

...Hoist on one's own Petard (I've always loved that expression, especially since I discovered it's origins).

 

[AndyC]

I didn't know what a petard was, so I did a Wiki:

A petard was a medieval term for a small bomb used to blow up gates and walls when breaching fortifications.

Also: a petard was a 19th Century animal trap, consisting of a rope and a bent branch that caught the desired beast by one leg as it stepped into a loop in the rope and pulled it up into the air.

 

[Clipper]

Petards...

...And when the fuse would burn too fast, it was called hoisting, thus the petardier was 'hoist on his own petard' OUCH!...

 

[Manedwolf]

Riding shotgun, of course, which I assume is from stagecoaches, when a second guy with a coach gun, not handling the horses' reins, sat up on the driver's seat?

And "A shot in the dark" for something attempted or thrown out or at random.

 

[tegemu]

Gunster

 

[Dragun]

i shot my wad (spent all my money or threw all in).

 

[JAB]

Ive heard shot my wad, but in a different text than dragun, i wont ellaborate
on target.
shotgun a beer
lock and load.. (get ready)

 

[Dave R]

Keep your powder dry...