Meaning
When friends walk toward a car and someone shouts "Shotgun", they're claiming the front passenger seat, the one next to the driver. The first person to say it wins. That's the whole rule, and people take it surprisingly seriously.
The picture comes from the old American West. On a stagecoach, the guard sat next to the driver holding a shotgun, watching for trouble. Nobody's guarding anything now; it's the best seat, with the most legroom and control of the music.
This is playful slang between friends, siblings and roommates. It's a game, so it only works when people are equals. Don't shout it when your manager is driving you and a client to lunch; there, you wait to be told where to sit, or you offer the front seat to the guest. You can also say "I call shotgun" or "Can I ride shotgun?"
In a conversation
- Tyler
- Amara
- Tyler
- Amara
- Tyler
Say it out loud
Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.
Check yourself
Practice · 3 min
Listen, then repeat. Say "shotgun" fast and a little loud, like you're trying to be first. Stress the first half: SHOT-gun.
Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.