Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[shiloh]

I've been reading a book called "Twilight" and it's the first time I found the word "shotgun" which means the seat next to the driver. Why is that?
Why does "shotgun" mean the seat next to the driver?

[Suzanne]

Hello,

"Shotgun" means the front seat, next to the driver. It comes from the days when stagecoaches were used to transport passengers. There was always the danger of being stopped and robbed along the way. The driver of the stagecoach had to concentrate on the horses, so the man sitting next to him had to worry about keeping everyone safe. He had a gun to protect everyone--so he was in the "shotgun" position.

In America, we still call that seat in the car the "shotgun" seat. Calling "shotgun" is often a matter of reacting just a little faster than the rest of the passengers. Once the driver announces his or her intentions of taking a trip, it falls on everyone else to cry out "Shotgun!" or some other reasonable variant. When passengers start calling shotgun, it often falls on the driver to be the final judge on the matter.

Does that help?

[shiloh]

Hello Suzanne,
Thanks for your explaining of shotgun. Now I realize why it called shotgun seat. But I don't understand the second paragraph. I've read it for serveral times, but still have no idea of it's meaning.

[Suzanne]

Hello,

Sorry if I confused you!

Calling "shotgun" is something people do as they approach a car. The first one to call"shotgun" gets to sit in the front passenger seat. That's what happened in the Twilight book.

[shiloh]

Hello,
Oh, I see. So people call "shotgun" in order to get the front seat and the final decision was made by the driver. Now I got it. Thanks a lot!!

By the way, is there any other expression of the seat except for shotgun?