Taken at gunpoint

Posted by Smokey Stover on August 29, 2004

In Reply to: Taken at gunpoint posted by ESC on August 29, 2004

: : Hello to everyone,
: : I keep thinkin about the possible difference of "taken at gunpoint" and "put at gunpoint".
: : Could anyone differentiate them?

: : Thank you

: My opinion: a person "taken at gunpoint" is kidnapped, taken to another location.

Hi, ESC, I see we're both glued to our computers at the same time. You're right, as always, about "taken at gunpoint," although the thing taken need not be a person. It could be anything transferred at the point of a gun from the pointee to the pointer. I would suppose that "put at gunpoint" would mean point a gun at [someone], but I can't specifically recall hearing the expression. The reason for the expression might be to imply that the person having the gun pointed at him or her was somewhat terrorized by the experience. Any other ideas out there? SS

• More gunplay ESC 29/August/04