shoot the bull
To chinwag; to talk idly.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We sat on the porch to shoot the bull for an hour.”
“After the long meeting finished, the coworkers stayed behind to shoot the bull about their weekend plans.”
“The old men gathered at the local diner every morning to shoot the bull, discussing everything from local politics to the changing weather.”
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Banbury story of a cock and a bull
A roundabout, nonsensical story.
- 02
bull in a china shop
A person who is clumsy, aggressive, without care, concern or self-control.
- 03
bull session
An informal discursive group discussion, often one where politics, economics or current events are discussed.
- 04
grab the bull by the horns
Synonym of take the bull by the horns.
- 05
shoot 'em up
A piece of media which depicts considerable gunplay.
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shoot down
To criticize (a request) to the point of preclusion.
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shoot first and ask questions later
To take hasty, immediate action with serious consequences, without first adequately investigating the situation.
- 08
shoot from the lip
To speak confidently and unhesitantly but without careful forethought or a reliable knowledge of important facts pertaining to the subject matter.
Last updated August 10, 2026