Calling shotgun
Encyclopedia
Riding shotgun refers to the practice of sitting alongside the driver in a moving vehicle.
The expression "riding shotgun" was apparently not used in the days of actual stagecoach travel. At that time, the position next to the driver was said to be occupied by an "express messenger" or sometimes colloquially a "shotgun messenger
". The phrase "riding shotgun" (not found before 1905) was applied later to print and especially film depiction of stagecoach
es and wagons in the Old West in danger of being robbed or attacked by bandits. A special armed employee of the express service using the stage for transportation of bullion or cash would sit beside the driver, carrying a short shotgun
(or occasionally rifle
), to provide an armed response in case of threat to the cargo, which was usually a strongbox. Absence of an armed person in that position often signaled that the stage was not carrying a strongbox, but only passengers.
More recently, the term has been applied to a game, typically played by groups of friends to determine who rides beside the driver in a car. Typically, this involves claiming the right to ride shotgun by calling out 'shotgun' first. There may be elaborate rules involved in the game, such as a requirement that the vehicle be in sight.
The phrase has been used to mean giving actual or figurative support or aid to someone in a situation or project, i.e. to "watch their back".
The expression "riding shotgun" was apparently not used in the days of actual stagecoach travel. At that time, the position next to the driver was said to be occupied by an "express messenger" or sometimes colloquially a "shotgun messenger
Shotgun messenger
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a shotgun messenger was a private "express messenger" and guard, especially on a stagecoach but also on a train, in charge of overseeing and guarding a valuable private shipment, such as particularly the contents of a strongbox or safe...
". The phrase "riding shotgun" (not found before 1905) was applied later to print and especially film depiction of stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
es and wagons in the Old West in danger of being robbed or attacked by bandits. A special armed employee of the express service using the stage for transportation of bullion or cash would sit beside the driver, carrying a short shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
(or occasionally rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
), to provide an armed response in case of threat to the cargo, which was usually a strongbox. Absence of an armed person in that position often signaled that the stage was not carrying a strongbox, but only passengers.
More recently, the term has been applied to a game, typically played by groups of friends to determine who rides beside the driver in a car. Typically, this involves claiming the right to ride shotgun by calling out 'shotgun' first. There may be elaborate rules involved in the game, such as a requirement that the vehicle be in sight.
The phrase has been used to mean giving actual or figurative support or aid to someone in a situation or project, i.e. to "watch their back".