shoot from the hip

shoot from the hip

1. Lit. to fire a gun that is held at one's side, beside one's hip. (This increases one's speed in firing a gun but is much less accurate.) •

When I lived at home on the farm, my father taught me to shoot from the hip.

•

I quickly shot the snake before it bit my horse. I'm glad I learned to shoot from the hip.

2. Fig. to speak directly and frankly. (Alluding to the rapidness of firing a gun from the hip.) •

John has a tendency to shoot from the hip, but he generally speaks the truth.

•

Don't pay any attention to John. He means no harm. It's just his nature to shoot from the hip.

* * *

{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To fire a gun held at the hip without aiming by aligning the barrel with one's eye. * /In many Western movies the heroic sheriff defeats the villains by shooting from the hip./ 2. To speak sincerely, frankly, and without subterfuge. * /"What kind of an administrator will Mr. Brown be?" the head of the search committee asked. "He shoots straight from the hip," he was assured./