Language: en
Meaning: (US,idiomatic)Toaccompanythedriverof avehicleon ajourneyas anarmedescort(originally with ashotgun);(by extension)to accompany someone in order toassistandprotect.He attended the meeting toride shotgunfor the sales team, in case anyone had a technical question.1905April,Alfred Henry Lewis, “The Worries of Mr. Holiday”, inThe Sunset Trail, New York, N.Y.:A[lfred] S[mith] Barnes & Co.,→OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.:A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, publishers,July 1906,→OCLC,page349:WyattandMorgan Earpwere in the service of the Express Company. They went often as guards—"riding shotgun," it was called—when the stage bore unusual treasure.1913,Alfred Henry Lewis, “Old Monte, Official Drunkard”, inFaro Nell and Her Friends: Wolfville Stories, New York, N.Y.: G. W. Dillingham Company,→OCLC,page105:Him drivin' stage that a-way, he ain't expected none to fight. [...] That's why, when the stage is stopped, the driver's never downed. Which if thar's money aboard, an' the express outfit wants it defended, they slams on some sport toride shotgunthat trip. It's for this shotgun speshulist to give the route agents an argyooment.1958, Stuart Elliott,Journal of Property Management, Chicago, Ill.:Institute of Real Estate Management,→ISSN,→OCLC, page33, column 2:TV's Wells Fargo Agent Dale Robertsonrides shotgunon the armored car which delivers to local Wells Fargo manager the plans for the new building the company will erect in Charlotte.1971October 14, Richard J. Vander Plaat (witness), “Testimony of Richard J. Vander Plaat, New Jersey Commissioner, on Behalf of Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor”, inNew Jersey–New York Airport Commission Compact: Hearings before Subcommittee No. 3 of theCommittee on the Judiciary,House of Representatives, Ninety-secondCongresson H.J. Res. 375, H.J. Res. 404, and H.J. Res. 433 Granting the Consent of Congress to the States of New Jersey and New York for Certain Amendments to the Waterfront Commission Compact, and for Entering into the Airport Commission Compact, and for Other Purposes:[…]Serial No. 21[…], Washington, D.C.:U.S. Government Printing Office, published1972,→OCLC,page161:But the situation [of lost mail] has now improved because the Post Office nowrides shotgunon the mails at a cost to the Post Office of $2½ million annually.1993August 11,Tom Clancy,Without Remorse(Jack Ryan; book 1), New York, N.Y.:Putnam,→ISBN; republished asWithout Remorse[2], New York, N.Y.:Berkley Books, August 1994,→ISBN:Want me and some people on Rescue One,riding shotgun?2017, Margo Dewkett, “Fort Robinson State Park”, inSage Meadows, Indianapolis, Ind.: Dog Ear Publishing,→ISBN,page36:For a moment, I enjoyed thinking of the type of men who hadridden shotgunin the 1800s. I pictured them as bodyguards, armed with a shotgun and responsible to support, aid, and protect the driver when confronted by robbers.; (US,idiomatic,by extension,slang)Toridein thefrontpassengerseatof a vehicle, next to the driver.When both kids want toride shotgunwith Mom, they’ll just have to take turns.1999, H. Mel Malton, chapter 8, inCue the Dead Guy(A Polly Deacon Murder Mystery), Toronto, Ont.: Napoleon Publishing/RendezVous Press,→ISBN,page59:This is the classic children's theatre touring vehicle, with just enough seating space for four actors (who traditionally fight like five-year-olds about who gets toride shotgun) and the stage manager, who gets to drive.2009,B. J. Daniels[pseudonym; Barbara Heinlein], chapter 4, inShotgun Bride(Harlequin Intrigue; 1125; Whitehorse, Montana: The Corbetts; 1), Don Mills, Ont.:Harlequin Enterprises,→ISBN,page45:The memories of his ordeal hadridden shotgunwith him the whole trip, but it was easier here, easier to worry about his father and Kate and this stupid marriage pact than to face what he'd left in Texas.2014, Frances Washburn, “The Scenic Fourth of July Rodeo and Dance”, inThe Red Bird All-Indian Traveling Band(Sun Tracks: An American Indian Literary Series;77), Tucson, Ariz.:University of Arizona Press,→ISBN,page 5:Sissyrode shotgunwith Clayton Red Bird driving his old Chevy Impala, the backseat crammed with guitars, a bass, microphones, leads, and all the other paraphernalia that they needed to play the gig in the Longhorn after the rodeo.2018December 25,Austin Murphy, “I Used to Write forSports Illustrated. Now I Deliver Packages for Amazon.”, inJeffrey Goldberg, editor,The Atlantic[3], Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group,→ISSN,→OCLC, archived fromthe originalon22 October 2019:Before sending me out alone, the company assigned me two "ride-alongs" with its top driver, the legendary Marco, who went out with 280 packages the second day Irode shotgunwith him, took his full lunch break, did not roll through a single stop sign, and was finished by sundown.; (US,idiomatic,by extension,slang)Tosuperviseaprocessandwatchfor anyrisks.1997, Michael McKenzie, chapter 1, inArrowhead: Home of the Chiefs, Lenexa, Kan.: Addax Pub. Group,→ISBN, page16:He hasridden shotgunover Hunt's financial affairs since Hunt was a baby in business, ascending to the head chair on the board that governs the Chiefs and the Hunt Midwest Enterprises empire of mining and real estate development.2005December, Gail Perry, “Acknowledgements”, inShow Me!: Quickbooks 2006(Show Me!), Indianapolis, Ind.:Que Publications,→ISBN,page iii:Thank you also to Stacey Ammerman, whorode shotgunon the technical editing end of this book to make sure everything you read is easy to understand and actually works the way it is supposed to.2007, Gary Keller, “Foreword”, in Rick Villani, Clay Davis,Flip: How to Find, Fix, and Sell Houses for Profit, New York, N.Y.; Chicago, Ill.:McGraw-Hill,→DOI,→ISBN,page viii:Not only are they investors, they run a company, HomeFixers, that helps hundreds of other investors each year. What they bring to the table is hard-won brass-tacks knowledge from over fifteen years of personal investing as well asriding shotgunon over 1,000 flips with their clients.
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