shoot from the hip

Idioms  

1. Speak or act recklessly or impulsively, as in Steve isn't very tactful; indeed, he's known for shooting from the hip. This expression transfers the fast shooting accomplished by drawing a gun from a holster and shooting without raising it to quick speaking or acting. [Slang; mid-1900s] For a similar transfer, see shoot off one's mouth.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shoot from the hip

Streeting said Sir Keir was not going to "shoot from the hip" in his comments about international affairs.

From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026

“But to exercise my discretion properly, I’m not going to shoot from the hip right here on the bench,” Ho said on Wednesday.

From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2025

But, he added, “let’s not shoot from the hip because then the people who really pay the price, regulatory-wise, are the ones who have been using it in a responsible manner all along.”

From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 2023

“Some directors shoot from the hip, and you have to find the scene in there and you’ve got to find the story,” she said.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 19, 2017

So I decided to just not say anything at all about it, then shoot from the hip when she started asking questions.

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds