• moncharleskey@lemmy.zip
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      2 months ago

      I’ll try and explain, but let me know if you don’t follow. In the US it’s common to claim the front passenger seat by saying “I call shotgun!” or simply “Shotgun!” The commenter is playing on a now common refrain where Americans use firearms and terminology to describe basic things. As far as I can tell, it’s true. For example: caulk gun, staple gun, nail gun, glue gun, tattoo gun, finger guns, ot phrases like “I’ll think about it before I pull the trigger on it.” Or “Shoot me your email and I’ll get you those photos.”

      I don’t know how prolific this type of thing is in other countries though, so I can only assume we Americans arr outliers due to how deeply ingrained guns are in our culture. Hope this clarifies things a bit, let me know if not.

      TLDR: Americans describing so many things: “So imagine a gun, but…”

      • WhiteOakBayou@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        All the things you listed either shoot projectiles and/or have triggers. What else do you call trigger operated projectile launchers? Also Caulk guns legitimately look like old timey machine guns.

        • moncharleskey@lemmy.zip
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          2 months ago

          This is my perspective as an American looking in. In other languages there may be terminology used for these items that do not reference firearms.

            • SGforce@lemmy.ca
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              2 months ago

              Cloueuse pneumatique

              Or pneumatic nailer

              I don’t think any of those things are referred to as a gun in French. Just essentially “stapler”, “nailer”, “gluer”, ect