MARTIN: Don't shoot the messenger is really interesting because the sentiment, the idea that someone who is bringing bad news is likely to be punished or disliked as a result, goes back to time immemorial. What about the phrase: Don't shoot the messenger? But the idea of using a silver bullet to solve a problem, other than a mythological creature, comes from the 20th century onwards.īLOCK: There are a lot of terms that spinoff the act of shooting: parting shot, long shot, a scattershot approach, give it your best shot. The major supernatural creature who was killed with a silver bullet was a werewolf. MARTIN: There are references to silver bullets being used to kill mythological creatures, back to the 17th century. Why don't we start with silver bullet, what have you learned about that? KATHERINE CONNOR MARTIN: Thanks for having me, Melissa.īLOCK: And, Katherine, you've been looking into when some of these phrases came into the lexicon. dictionaries for Oxford University Press. Well, to help decode some of this gun speak, I'm joined by Katherine Connor Martin. If she's a straight-shooter, he's a real pistol. Think about it: We bite the bullet, sweat bullets, ride shotgun, stick to our guns, jump the gun, go ballistic, and shoot from the hip. Just two examples of how pervasive gun language is in our everyday speech. I hope I get it done by then.īLOCK: No silver bullet. VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH BIDEN: We know that it is - there is no silver bullet.īLOCK: And as for when he'd make his proposal?īIDEN: I'm shooting for Tuesday.
Describing the sound of a gunshot how to#
In January, when Vice President Biden concluded a week of meetings at the White House over how to curb gun violence, listen to the words he chose to describe the complexity.
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