Shoot from the hip

Posted by Bruce Kahl on September 25, 1999

In Reply to: Shoot from the hip posted by Ayub on September 23, 1999

: Can someone please tell me the meaning of the following phrases

: 1)shoot from the hip
: 2)all guns blazing

The phrase "shoot from the hip" usually means doing something without thinking or acting in haste. "All guns blazing" is a phrase for putting all your energy into something very forcibly.

Back in the days of yesteryear in the Western States of Texas and New Mexico, people known as cowboys carried weapons in a holster on their hip. When a cowboy was in an emergency situation where he had to quickly pull out his weapon, he would very often "shoot from the hip" where his gun was located. This tactic was only for very close encounters since he had no chance to aim very well.

Some cowboys robbed banks for a living and they carried multiple weapons on their person and would enter a bank with "all guns a-blazin' " to carry out their dastardly deed in a most efficient manner.