"Gun Shy."

Posted by ESC on July 16, 2006

In Reply to: "Gun Shy." posted by Kelly Anne on July 16, 2006

: Hi, I have been receiving the weekly phrases for just over a month. I find it all very interesting. Today I wanted to look up a saying I heard but it has not yet been covered. The phrase in "Gun Shy." Now I'd like to know what one means if they say they are "Gun Shy."

Main Entry: gun-shy
Pronunciation: -"shI
Function: adjective
1 : afraid of loud noise (as that of a gun)
2 : markedly distrustful, afraid, or cautious

Merriam-Webster online

Once something happens (like a loud noise from a gun) a person is afraid of it happening again. It's an animal thing. A gun-shy dog is one that you can't take hunting because it's scared of gun shots.