# who shot John

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/who-shot-john
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Long and involved explanation, finger-pointing, or assignment of credit or blame.

## Examples

- I do not want to hear the whole who shot John about this.
- When the project failed, the manager gave us a long who shot John instead of fixing the problem.
- The committee meeting devolved into an exhausting who shot John, with each member desperately trying to deflect responsibility for the budget deficit.

## Origin

First attested in the 1860s as a game among students at British military academies; in later use, chiefly US.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.