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Saturday-night special

American  
[sat-er-dey-nahyt, -dee-] / ˈsæt ər deɪˌnaɪt, -di- /

noun

Informal.

  1. a cheap, small-caliber handgun that is easily obtainable and concealable.

Saturday night special British  

noun

  1. informal a small handgun that is cheap and easy to buy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Saturday-night special

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The TracFone is sort of a cellular "Saturday-night special": pony up $99 and walk away with a cheap but effective phone with 60 minutes of calling time.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.