shoot the breeze

Idioms  

1. Also,. Talk idly, chat, as in They've been sitting on the porch for hours, just shooting the breeze, or The guys sit around the locker room, throwing the bull. The first of these slangy terms, alluding to talking into the wind, was first recorded in 1919. In the variant, first recorded in 1908, bull is a shortening of bullshit, and means “empty talk” or “lies.”

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Example Sentences

Traditionally, this is nothing more than a photo opportunity, but President Trump likes to shoot the breeze with the press pack.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2025

‘Wolfs’ stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt shoot the breeze in a GQ interview, with Clooney taking aim at filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and David O. Russell.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2024

Downes could shoot the breeze about Bruiser for hours, and he readily admits a deep fondness for the elk.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 7, 2023

In one beautifully uncanny scene, the duo stop by a virtual reality gaming studio and, equipped with headsets, plug into the fantasy, playing as flying sorcerers as they shoot the breeze.

From New York Times • May 4, 2023

A better question: Did he really think I was going to pull up a chair and shoot the breeze about the good old days?

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken