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shoot the breeze. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
shoot the breeze, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
shoot the breeze in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
shoot the breeze you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
(Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)
A slang phrase, alluding to talking into the wind, it was first recorded in 1919. In the variant, first recorded in 1908, bull is used instead of breeze, and means "empty talk" or "lies."
Pronunciation
Verb
shoot the breeze (third-person singular simple present shoots the breeze, present participle shooting the breeze, simple past and past participle shot the breeze)
- (idiomatic, US) To chat idly or generally waste time talking.
- Synonyms: bat the breeze, chew the fat, shoot the shit, shoot the bull
We were just standing around shooting the breeze.
1989, Lethal Weapon 2 (motion picture), spoken by Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson):Oh, I've just been upstairs with your boss, shooting the breeze… shooting his fish.
1999, The Ninth Gate (motion picture), spoken by Dean Corso (Johnny Depp):Listen, I came here to do some business, not shoot the breeze. If you want to expound your personal philosophies, write another book.
Translations
to chat idly or waste time talking
See also